A Home Like No Other
by Joshy.exe
Summary: Following a tragic accident, a young mother-to-be wakes up to find that both she and her unborn child have been transformed into Pokémon. Now lost in a world full of these fantastic and terrifying creatures, she's left tasked with picking up the pieces of her life, putting them back together, and making a new home that the two of them can be happy in.
1. Vol 1 - Chapter 1

**A Home Like No Other**

**Vol. 1, Chapter 1**

* * *

Sometimes, life was difficult to understand. One minute you could be climbing to the top of the world, having become privy to every rule and making sure that they worked to your benefit, the next... you're back at the bottom—broken and sober to the reality that everything you had learned ultimately gave no agency over the unexpected. You could only do so much before predetermination punched you in the gut and spat in your face while you were down. Put simply, if the world wanted you dead, then you had better be prepared to meet your maker, because there was nothing short of said maker that could save you from that inevitable end. An end that they themselves had likely condemned you to from the start.

That was probably one of the last revelations that Amy Miller would ever have as she lay motionless in the mud, her body broken and surrounded by crumpled fiberglass and other debris from the remnants of her SUV. To say that it was excruciating was indeed an understatement. There were no words she could have used to describe the mind-numbing pain of having one's own bones crushed beyond repair, or the agony of flesh being torn as if it were paper.

A mistake, that's what had led to this. A single glance off the road on a rainy Colorado day that led to the here and now of having her vehicle thrown from the mountain road and smashed at the bottom of a ravine. Yes, a mistake, but one that had costed her dearly.

And the best part? It wasn't even the physical afflictions that hurt the most. Now, with the shock and adrenaline rush leaving most of her body numb to her ungodly suffering, she was left with the much deeper ramifications of her demise. Emotional wounds that had scabbed over were now torn anew, bleeding out all the self-hatred and loathing that she could have sworn had been left in the past. This was all her fault. How could she have been so... so _stupid_? She could feel hot tears streaking down her face, a representation of the physical and emotional suffering that fell to mix with the wet soil and blood pooling beneath her. But in spite of all that, the circumstances still grew worse.

No one was going to save her. There wasn't likely to be another passerby for another few minutes, and by then it would be far too late. Already her sight was losing focus, the colors in her peripheral vision fading to somber shades of gray. Likewise, her tears suddenly didn't feel as warm as they had a few moments ago, nor did the drizzle feel as cold. It wouldn't be much longer now.

But still it grew worse. The ultimate offense wasn't even that her actions had led to her own death, it was who also would die as a direct result of her poor choice. Amy tried to move an arm, but stopped once she realized that nothing was happening. She lifted the other instead, feeling vaguely nauseous as she saw what was left of it. With an unsteady hand, she reached down and clutched at her rounded stomach, a sad attempt at cradling the baby that was—or perhaps had been—developing inside of her. Murder. Even if by chance that wasn't the legal definition of what she had done, that was how it felt to her. She'd ended another's life before it had a chance to even begin. It hurt more than any broken bone and weighed on her conscience like the mountain she was dying upon.

"I'm sorry... I'm so, so sorry..."

Her words were a mumble, a feeble noise that could barely be heard over the background noise of the rain as Amy was soaked through and through. She was beginning to feel tired now. Every shallow breath was becoming a useless battle to delay the inevitable, while the idea of just closing her eyes and drifting to sleep sounded more and more inviting. It was certainly becoming comfortable enough with her body now entirely without feeling and her vision growing dark. Even the horrible guilt and sense of worthlessness were beginning to pass. Shouldn't she follow suit?

"No. I don't... I don't want to die..."

But that didn't matter, now did it? Life had made the choice for her and there was nothing that could be done to stop it. She was fading fast, her last words barely even a whisper as she fought with the last of her strength to stay conscious. But in the end it was nothing more than a fit of rebellion fueled by vanity. After another minute of resisting, the world around Amy darkened further until her vision failed completely. What was left of her other senses followed thereafter, leaving the young woman with nothing but her own weary thoughts and tattered emotions. Surrounded by a comfortable nothingness, she slipped further and further away. In her final few moments, all that was left was the most abstract idea of something. Was it... remorse?

It didn't matter. All Amy wanted now was to rest, but the feeling persisted, refusing to leave up until the moment when she took her final breath and the light left her unseeing eyes.

Amy Miller and her unborn child were no longer of this world.

–**-**

To be frank, Amy wasn't quite sure what to expect after death. At one point in her life, she had wholeheartedly believed in the traditional Christian ideas of what awaited someone after passing, but she didn't have as much faith as she did back then. That wasn't to say that she no longer believed in such things, rather, she was just no longer as certain. In short, anything and everything was to be expected, even if that anything was nothing at all. But what happened next was something she would never have expected.

She woke up.

And that was all. There had been no bright light at the end of a tunnel leading to some paradise in the clouds, nor was there the smell of brimstone or the screaming of the damned as they underwent some form of torture. She simply became aware that she was awake, as it had been for as long as she could remember. It was seamless, to the point that it left her disoriented as she found herself staring into the back of her eyelids. Her mind, now confused and groggy from an unexpected sleep, worked hard to try and make sense of what was now happening. She had died, hadn't she? That's what it had seemed like, yet here she was coming to with no perceivable pain on her part. Had someone found her after she had blacked out and somehow managed to save her life? Was she in a hospital? The latter, despite being the only logical conclusion, didn't seem likely; she wouldn't be sinking into something so plush and feeling so comfortable if she were in the ICU. But if this wasn't a hospital, then where—

"_Gah!_"

Amy opened her eyes, or at least she made an attempt. The moment she cracked an eyelid, she found herself being assaulted by bright light shining directly into her face. Reflexively, she flinched away, squeezing her eyes back shut and curling in on herself to escape the irritant. Now hidden from the sun, she felt a frown pulling at the corners of her mouth. Curl? Why would she do that of all things?

Slowly, oh so slowly, her brain began to work again and her thoughts became more coherent. The mental cobwebs that had settled were being cleared away and her mind was working on connecting the dots. Something was wrong here, and it was only now that she was realizing it. Even now, as she lay perfectly still, there was an unsettling notion that something about her was not as it had been before. Her arms and legs no longer felt right, and there was a strange sensation that rippled across her body at even the slightest breeze. Was she... naked? She couldn't feel any clothes on herself, but she also felt as though she was covered by something. There was also something else, something that was nagging at the back of her mind. It felt like she had just forgotten something very important, but what? With a grimace, Amy began to retrace the steps that had led to... whatever this was. She had rolled her SUV into the bottom of a glorified ditch, berated herself on her stupidity, and before her final moments, had lamented on her wasted life, along with having effectively killed her—

_Her baby!_

Amy felt her stomach drop at the realization. How could something as important as that slip her mind?! Now firing on all cylinders, she made to move from where she lay, only to be met with limbs that refusal to move as she commanded them. She opened her eyes once again, fighting through the light and taking in her surroundings for the first time.

She found herself in a room, as one would expect, with a glassless window right in front of her that let in the sun. She could make out a few trees outside, as well as a clear sky that was of stark contrast to the dreary Colorado day that had been forecasted. Now that she thought about it, the very air itself felt different from what it had been. It was far too warm for March, and while it smelled fresh and green, there was a lack of that telltale crispness that came with living near the mountains. As for the rest of the room, the space in front of her looked like something that belonged to a cabin. Built from solid, unstained timber, as opposed to most materials you would see in a modern home. The only furnishings she could see were a simple bookshelf, a potted plant, and a flittering white curtain in a doorway that acted as a crude barrier between her and the rest of the world. It was small and quaint, yet there was a perturbing sense that it was far larger than it should have been.

The young woman's heart was beating faster now, pangs of an all-too-familiar anxiety worming its way into her chest as she took in a place she didn't recognize. Moving around some more, she tried again to get up from where she lay. She reached out with an arm to try and push herself upright, only to freeze as the limb came into view. She simply stared, not comprehending what she was seeing before slowly craning her neck to look down at herself.

She stared for all of five seconds before finally letting out a scream.

It wasn't her body! There was no way it could've been—it wasn't even human! There was no flesh, no clothing, just the bare form of some... some _animal _covered in a fine layer of lilac-colored fur. Amy tried jumping to her feet to get away from the creature, but succeeded only in flailing about on the large pillow she had been laying on until she spilled onto the floor below. She hit the floorboards with an audible _thump_, looking on in horror as the furred body mirrored how she writhed. She tried to work a trembling hand, only to have a slender paw move awkwardly in its place. There was no way that what she was seeing was real. It had to be a nightmare, or some drug-induced hallucination—anything!

But it felt so real; she could observe every unnatural detail of the foreleg in front of her, sense every strand of fur as a second stray breeze skirted along her body, and see and feel what was most definitely a two-pronged _tail _lashing about of its own volition.

Too much. The panic attack was coming, she could already feel it in how her breathing had picked up and how the alien body before her had begun to visibly shiver. The anxieties that had crept their way in were now blooming in full, maturing into that striking sense of doom that she had been without for so long. There was an overwhelming urge to get up, to try and run away. But even amongst the confusion, she wasn't so sure that would go so well. So she lay hyperventilating on the floor, several questions racing through her panicked mind. What was going on? Where was she? Why was she suddenly some animal? Tears were once again springing to her eyes as her episode continued to pick up momentum. She needed to get help, she needed—

_Thunk._

Amy's head snapped up, her eyes locking with the covered doorway as a noise emanated from outside the room. It sounded like wood slamming up against something. For one fleeting moment, Amy was brought back to her senses and the rational part of her mind began to work once again. She wasn't alone. Maybe this person, whoever they were, knew what was happening. Maybe she could get help. But as her ears unconsciously swiveled to listen, she soon came to a disheartening realization: she could hear footsteps, but it wasn't the gait of a person she heard, it sounded more like a dog hurrying along than anything else.

And then the panic returned. She looked down once more at the strange, bestial body—_her body—_and a much darker possibility manifested. What if there was some unholy monster coming her way? What would she even do if it attacked?

The footfalls were close now, prompting Amy to give standing upright another go. She hadn't even managed to stay on her hind legs for half a moment before she overbalanced and fell backwards in a heap. She scrambled to right herself, rolling back over and pushing up onto all fours once she got her new legs underneath. Whatever had been approaching had now reached the curtain as she backed up, pausing as it stood in front of the curtain. It was impossible to discern anything through the cloth, but she thought that she could make out another set of paws peeking out from behind the piece of fabric. Finally, the figure moved, stepping forward and pushing its way into the room. What Amy found herself looking at what was perhaps one of the strangest sights she'd ever laid eyes on.

It had four legs, so it was definitely a quadruped. But that was as far as she could get before things became... odd. The most notable feature had to have been the thick, red-orange coat of fur it sported, though the striking plumes of a yellow fur on its tail, collar, and top of the head was also eye catching, giving off a vague impression of burning fire. It looked canine at first glance, but its short muzzle, large eyes, and rabbit-like ears made it impossible to tell what she was looking at. Even so, that wasn't what made Amy do a double take. In fact, it wasn't at all what she had seen from the creature. It had been what she _heard _from it.

"You're finally awake—I mean, uh... are you okay? I heard a scream and—"

Amy's focus wavered and lost the words as her brain tried to process what she was understanding. Some... rabbit-dog had just walked itself, er, _him_self into the room and spoke to her. And not in the 'Fido, speak' sort of way, either; what she was hearing sounded like perfectly understandable English... coming straight out of the maw of something that was quite clearly not human.

"You can talk..."

The words slipped out of Amy's own mouth before she had a chance to catch them. The creature fumbled whatever he'd been rambling and tilted his head, looking Amy up and down with a confused look on his face. There was an intelligence in his eyes, a glint that really unnerved her.

"Y-Yeah... I can talk. It's not like I'm a feral or anything."

Too much. With everything she was being overwhelmed with, this was the final push that sent her over the edge. Now she was trying to stay upright and not be sick as the world rocked from side to side. This couldn't be real, it just couldn't! She had to figure out what was going on, she had to... had to...

She was unable to finish that last thought as her horror-ridden mind finally shut down. Without so much as another word, Amy saw the world tilt far to one side, the floorboards coming up to meet her as everything once more faded to nothing.

–**-**

Amy wasn't quite sure how long she had been unconscious, nor did she really care. All that mattered in those first few seconds was that she felt... surprisingly good, revitalized even. It was like she had just woken up from a week-long sleep after going several days without so much as a nap. She let out a sigh, relishing the sensation as she found herself laying comfortably. However, it didn't take long for her mind to begin remembering that things were terribly wrong. The sun was still warming her face, and she didn't have to open her eyes to feel that same persistent breeze on what was most certainly fur, or feel a tail where none should've been. She braced for the panic to return, for her heart to begin beating out of her chest and her stomach to do flips. But nothing came. She waited a little longer. Still nothing.

The worry, the anxiety, the fear, it had all gone away. That wasn't to say that they had vanished completely, but as it stood now, those horrible feelings were hardly anything more than distant little blips on the emotional radar of her brain. And in that vacuum, something else rushed in to fill its place. A meditative silence, a framework for coherent thought and wonderings to crop up. Where was she? _What _was she? So many questions were lining up, but there were hardly any answers to be found.

"Good afternoon, Miss Espeon, you had us quite worried."

Amy started at the unexpected voice. Opening her eyes once more, she looked around to find herself back in the same unfamiliar room as before. There was, however, one major difference from last time: she was no longer the sole occupant. Something was standing beside the doorway, and while it was certainly tall and humanoid in its overall shape, it was painfully obvious that it wasn't a person. Its body was slim, with milk-white skin and a band of green that ran across its chest and all the way down its arms. There was also some semblance of hair atop its head, neatly bobbed and colored the same vivid green. A red, fin-like object was protruding from its chest, and while it definitely caught the eye, Amy found her attention drawn down to the gown that flowed around its legs. Like the curtain in the doorway, it caught the breeze and fluttered like a living thing, but what really held her stare was how it just emerged from the waistline without any trace of a seam, as if the garment was physically a part of of its body.

And she, it was definitely a she, was glowing. A thin, almost imperceptible halo of light surrounded and brightened the room in a sense that was at the very least metaphorical. It gave a certain allure to the being that put the young woman's mind more at ease the longer she took in the otherworldly features, almost like a magic.

"Are you an angel?"

Amy could have asked a thousand other things that were objectively more important than what she'd just said, but that was the first thing that had come to mind. It was a silly thing that made her face heat up. The creature's smile faltered a bit, giving way to a more questioning look.

"Angel? I don't think I've ever heard of such a... title before. Ah, but allow me to start over—I haven't even introduced myself. My name is Gallia. I'm probably one of the only Gardevoir you'll ever meet this close to Ridan, as well as the designated healer for the other Pokémon here in Merri. But I'd wager you're far more interesting than I am. Who do I have the pleasure of speaking to?"

Her voice was easily one the most pleasant sounds Amy had ever heard. Every syllable had her spellbound, but the words still registered all the same, and they still sent her reeling in her head. Ridan? Merri? Amy had never heard of these places in her life, but it was what she'd heard in between that made her want to do a double take. Had this creature, Gallia, really just introduce herself as a _Pokémon? _Like those things in those games that everyone played when she was in school?

Amy wanted to laugh, to tell this... this Gardevoir that she sounded just as crazy as she felt. But she couldn't. She glanced at herself and still saw the body of some cat-like animal with fur and paws and knew deep down that every word had been meant in all seriousness. And some of the pieces began to fall into place. She had, in point of fact, died, but at the same time... she hadn't. Now she was somewhere else, somewhere unfamiliar, and must be a Pokémon too. Her and—

"_My baby!_"

The realization hit her like a bucket of ice water as she stared down at a stomach covered in fur and eerily flat. She was up in an instant, a fresh wave of panic and shame breaking through the calm that had settled in her head. But the Gardevoir was there before she had a chance to do anything, her eyes flashing with a light that was there and gone in an instant. Amy froze where she stood, her eyes widening further as the panic was wrestled down by a presence in her mind that she'd failed to notice before. It was a subtle pressure, pushing down on all of the negative emotions that would normally be swarming her in any other circumstance. What was this, some sort of mind power? How was that possible? How was _any_ of what was going on possible?

Carefully, Gallia approached and knelt down beside her. She reached out a tentative hand and placed it between Amy's shoulders, rubbing along her back in a consoling gesture. When she spoke next, it was with that same gentle, reassuring smile

"Try and stay calm. There's nothing for you to worry about here in the patient house. Your egg is perfectly healthy and being kept safe and warm down the hall with Fury. He's the Flareon you met earlier."

Amy blinked, looking up at the Gardevoir with what must have been the dumbest look she had ever given.

"W-Wait, did you just say... egg?"

There was a moment of hesitation from Gallia as she looked Amy up and down in much the same way that the aforementioned Fury had done. Her concerned expression even mirrored his as she spoke.

"...Of course. As I'm sure you had been aware, you were quite, _quite_ pregnant. So pregnant, in fact, that you went into labor while we were still trying to move you into the patient house from where we first found you. It took a short while since you weren't with us to help push things along, but everything came out fine in the end and there were no complications. That was two days ago."

Amy's jaw went slack. Wordlessly, she fell back onto her hindquarters and just stared ahead. The world was trying to fall out from beneath her as she tried to digest what she had just heard. She couldn't—no, she _refused_ to believe that she'd already had her child. She still had at least three more months to go! But another glance reaffirmed that she showed no real indication of ever carrying another life. She likely have a choice to believe Gallia, an egg?

Amy was silent, her vacant gaze staying down and her tail flicking as she thought. There were still no real emotions, just that same stillness in her head and a maze of thought lined by an ever growing list of questions. How should she even feel about this revelation? Anger? Relief? Anguish? It probably didn't matter, and perhaps that was fine too. So Amy didn't dwell on how to feel and just kept thinking about other things, trying to make heads and tails of everything through means she felt like she hadn't used in ages. She needed a plan of action. Let's see... the first thing she should do was to definitely see her baby. After that? She probably needed to let someone know what was going on. Regardless of whether or not she brought whatever was happening on herself, it would be in her best interest to let someone know that she was human, right? Were there other humans here too, or just Pokémon? But was it safe to just let anybody know? How would they react?

There were too many questions. Her tail curled and she blow out a puff of air. With a bit of hesitation, she glanced up.

"Can I see it? My egg?"

Her voice was small, just as it had been when the life had been draining away at the bottom of the ravine. She wasn't even sure that Gallia had even heard it at first, but the Gardevoir nodded, standing up and smoothing out her gown.

"Certainly. I'll bring it right over, it shouldn't even be a minute."

She stepped away, moving with the grace of a dancer as she disappeared behind the curtain. Amy listened intently as the Pokémon's footsteps travelled a short ways down the hallway before letting out a a decidedly more shaky sigh. Frowning, she raised her paw once again and looked closely. It was slight, but it was definitely shaking. Whatever was influencing her must not have been as iron-clad as she thought. Already the anxiety was trying to ingrain itself into her, but it felt diluted, like the typical nervousness that anyone would feel. The kind of nerves she missed having.

She waited a bit longer, shifting uneasily on the pillow and trying to keep things in order in her head. As promised, not even what had felt like a minute had passed before she heard footfalls coming back her way. The curtain was pushed aside and Gallia was back, a pleased look on her face and a basket in tow.

There wasn't anything special about it, to be honest. It was just a plain old wicker basket with a handle on either side. But nestled inside, wrapped up in a equally plain blanket, was an egg. It, well, looked like an egg. To its credit though, it went perfectly with the day's theme of being unusual. It was by far larger than any chicken egg—perhaps just a tad smaller than an emu's, sporting a rich, brown shell that was contrasted with a wavy band of cream around its center. If Amy were to be completely honest with herself, it looked like a giant Easter egg minus the seasonal colors.

It looked absolutely ridiculous; there was no way _that _had come out of her! But in spite of her reservations, she found herself unable to look away. There was a gravity about it that demanded her undivided attention as Gallia bent over to place the basket in front of her. No sooner had it touched the floor than Amy had scooted closer to inspect it. Within moments, she had somehow managed to pull the basket onto the pillow and accomplished tipping it over, allowing the egg to roll out and come to a rest safely at her feet.

A mother's intuition... or just animalistic instinct. Call it what you would, but something stirred deep within Amy as she continued staring down at the egg. It was _hers, _a life that needed to be protected.

Gingerly, she put a trembling paw on the shell and felt a gentle warmth heating it. It felt so _alive._

_..._And then something fell and splashed off of the shell. The former human blinked, watching the water streaking along the smooth surface and down to the pillow below, and then another drop fell, and another.

Amy reached up and brushed at her face as best she could. Tears. They ran freely down her face and fell like rain. In moments, she found herself shaking like a leaf in a storm. Any relief she felt suddenly swept out by a riptide of guilt.

"I did this... I..."

What could she have said? What could she have done in that moment but despair? With her paws still on either side of what had become of her baby, she tightened her grip and lightly pressed against it in a feral hug. There she stayed for what was surely an eternity, letting her sorrows spill out unabashed. Why did this have to happen? Was it too much to ask for the two of them to just rest in peace?

"Oh dear. I thought it was safe to stop suppressing your emotions. I wouldn't have thought—what happened for you to have left like this?"

Amy peered up from where she'd broken down. Through bleary eyes, she could make out Gallia leaned against a wall, a hand over that peculiar fin-like piece on her chest and a thoroughly disturbed look on her face. How long had she been standing there? A few minutes? Longer? She couldn't tell. Amy sniffled, raising an arm and wiping her nose. She stared emptily at the snot in her fur and glanced back up. That's right, the Gardevoir had no clue what was going on. Amy probably had to tell her, but was it safe? Did it even matter? Did _anything_ matter anymore? No, it didn't, not for the former.

Halfheartedly, she turned her attention away from Gallia and picked herself up from atop her egg. It looked no worse for wear, but it was soaked in her tears. With another sob, she pulled at the blanket inside the basket, sliding her paws underneath and then lifting it up to throw it over the poor thing and wipe it down.

"Don't be sorry. It's not even your fault. I'm Amy, by the way... Amy Miller."

Gallia grimaced, pushing herself off the wall.

"That's an odd name, even for an eeveelution like yourself. It has a nice sound to it though, and I'm pleased to meet you all the same. Do... Do you feel well enough to talk about whatever's causing this distress of yours? Even now your emotions are coming off in dark and heavy waves. It's concerning."

Amy looked up from her work, meeting the Pokémon's gaze as best she could. This was her chance, all she had to do was take it. Sagging, she gave a weak nod

"Yeah, I don't think I have much of a choice."

"What do you mean?"

For her part, the Gardevoir certainly looked concerned, worried even. That hardly did much to comfort Amy though. She crouched down, making herself looking smaller and pulling her egg close as spoke.

"Exactly what I say. I have no idea what's going on right now, and I know I won't get far trying to keep secrets. I—"

Amy broke off, a lump forming in her throat. Was this _really_ the best thing she could do? What if Gallia freaked out, or worse, just didn't believe her? Would it put her and her baby in danger? No, she was just being paranoid. And what did she even have to gain by not telling anyone? Biting her lip and swallowing hard, she scraped together what little courage was left and stood a fraction.

"This... isn't where I'm supposed to be. I'm not sure if—no, I _am _sure that this isn't my home. I'm not supposed to be this... Espeon or eeveelution thing you said. I'm not even supposed to be a Pokémon at all, they're not supposed to even exist. I'm a human! A human who ended up killing herself and her unborn baby because she too stupid to even pay attention! And now we're both here and I'm scared and I have so many questions! I... I can't—"

She had to stop herself. It felt like she was on the verge of another attack. Taking several deep breaths, she looked Gallia straight in the eye, but what she heard was demoralizing. The Pokémon seemed disbelieving, staring through Amy and off into space. She stayed silent for several seconds before finally shaking her head.

"That's impossible. None of what you've just said makes any sense."

The words struck Amy like a blow. This was it, somehow she'd managed the impossible and made her situation even worse than what it had already been. She watched in horror as Gallia inched towards the doorway, clearly conflicted as she clenched at her gown.

"Miss Amy, I don't know what to say right now. I think I need a few minutes to, uh, compose myself. Yeah, just a short while to discuss a few things with someone."

Amy bolted up in alarm, nearly knocking her egg off the pillow. Scrambling to pull it back, she spluttered in desperation to keep the Gardevoir from running away.

"W-Wait! You can't just leave me! I don't know what to do! You need to believe—"

She was cut off mid-sentence by a much irmer tone from the Gardevoir.

"I understand your concerns. But please, I need a moment. I've yet to abandon any of my patients and don't plan on doing so anytime soon. You have my word that I'll be back shortly. Just promise me that you won't leave this room for any reason. If not for your sake, then at the very least for your egg's. Do I make myself clear?"

Amy hesitated, looking between the the taller creature and the fluttering curtain in the doorway. Slowly, she nodded, lowering herself back down onto the pillow and pulling her egg close once more. Gallia let out the faintest of sighs and returned the nod. She approached the curtain and glanced behind it before disappearing from view. The footsteps faded down the hall, and she heard the closing of a door a short ways away. Many silent minutes passed before she realized that no one was coming back anytime soon. She was truly alone with her thoughts and feelings now, and that was almost as agonizing as what she'd gone through thus far.

Almost...

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**And so it begins... again.**

**Hello everyone! Welcome to the rewrite of **_**A Home Like No Other. **_**If you're new here, then welcome to this little ol' story of mine. If you're returning from the original (discontinued) version, then welcome back. I appreciate your continued support and patience from the bottom of my heart.**

**As you can already tell from comparing this Chapter 1 to the first version, things are a bit different this go around. Namely, Amy has already had her egg, as opposed to just being pregnant. I've also made a valiant effort to try and cut away some of the unnecessary description of certain things and further streamline the reading experience, though I think I may have gone either too far or not far enough in those regards. This means that your input is very much appreciated.**

**What else has changed? Well, you may be surprised. It'll certainly be made more clear as the chapters progress. In the meantime, I hope you have a great rest of your day and apologize that I can't keep a scheduling promise to save my life.**

**And, as was the case with the original story, feel free to leave a review or a PM listing off any typos or other errors you find in this chapter. I make active efforts to fix mistakes before and after uploading, but I'm only human and can't catch everything.**

**With all that said and done, see ya next chapter!**

**Chapter 1-1 Trivia:**

**Speaking of change, I think this would be a great opportunity to talk about some of this story's history! Because as it stands, the 'alpha version' was an entirely different story than what you now read. **

_**A Home Like No Other**_ **started as a story concept that involved a family of four (a mother, father, teenage son, and seven-year-old daughter) being whisked away to a Pokémon Mystery Dungeon-esque world and dropped throughout a massive continent. Each chapter would've been in the different POVs of these former humans and chronicled each of their journeys as they went about to try and seek out one another. I never got very far in developing it beyond that initial idea, but sometimes I wonder if it would've been better to stick with it than to gradually evolve it into, well, this...**


	2. Vol 1 - Chapter 2

A** Home Like No Other**

**Volume 1, Chapter 2**

* * *

The minutes began to blur after a while, stretching into what must've been over an hour's time as Amy lay in a listless heap, still in the same room as when she'd first woken up. She was prone, half-curled around her... egg, which was now nestled clumsily into the same blanket that had been used to wipe it of her own tears. The crying had long since stopped, but now the skin around her eyes burned raw from the aftermath. She rested a heavy head on her forelegs, watching the room's only exit with a look that could only be described as lifeless. The irony of which was not lost on her.

She felt tired. Not drowsy per se, just—what was the word? Exhausted? Lethargic? It probably didn't matter either way, so she gave it no further thought. In fact, nothing seemed to matter as much. Anything requiring more effort than simply existing felt like too much of a chore.

Her expression soured for a moment, before finally shaking her head and looking away from the curtain for the first time in a while. The room suddenly seemed a bit darker than she remembered it being. The trees outside the open window had a more orange tint to them, and the shadows around her seemed to stretch further as the sun sank toward a horizon she couldn't quite see. Either she'd woken up pretty late in the afternoon after fainting the first time, or more time had passed than previously thought. She glanced around the room, but again, nothing about it had changed from when she last took it in. There was the same potted plant, the same bookshelf, with its handful of leather-bound books, and the same sense of unfamiliarity. Slowly, her eyes slid away, moving down to her side.

Her child... or what had become of it. The sight of what she'd taken care of for the last few months being before her now, encased in some unnatural shell, was a knife to the gut. It wasn't supposed to be like this, not at all. She should've been long home by now, getting ready to start dinner or finishing up her laundry, not in some other god-forsaken world as a _Pokémon_ of all things! It wasn't fair.

But it was all her fault, and the fact that she couldn't escape that or pin the blame on someone else was the worst feeling she could've ever imagined. It was—

"Ridiculous! I can't believe he had the nerve to treat this like some sort of exchange!"

"It's fine, dear. You knew just as well as I that he wasn't going to be agreeable over something like that."

Amy's ears lifted at the sounds of mumblings from outside her window, a pair of voices that were barely above a whisper. The first sounded irate, but was still recognizable as belonging to Gallia, while the second was more of a mystery. She half-rose as she heard them walk around the patient house, only to flinch when a door was slammed shut from somewhere as the pair seemingly entered. She took an unconscious step forward, putting a bit more of herself between the doorway and her egg. A sense of dread was already rising in her chest. What could the Gardevoir have said or done after she'd left Amy alone? Had she told more Pokémon about what she'd learned? And why did she seem so upset?

Footsteps were coming her way now, the voices still loud enough to be heard, but not so much that they could be understood. Every few steps she would hear them veer off somewhere and then hear something close before the steps resumed. They grew closer and closer until they stopped a short ways away from her room. It was silent for a few moments, but it was broken when she heard Gallia clear her throat and speak.

"Get up, you're a part of this too. I know you heard everything from earlier— and don't even try to act like you're asleep, I've dealt with too many children to fall for that."

She sounded snappish, a prospect that hardly helped with the growing unease. Straining her ears, Amy listened as a third voice answer with a muffled groan. She pulled her egg against herself, bracing for whoever or whatever was about to come her way. There was some more movement outside the curtain, before it was pushed aside to reveal a hallway that was much darker than she recalled.

Gallia was the first to enter the room, gripped another basket by the handle and looking oh so frustrated at something. Following close behind was another Pokémon, one that bore a resemblance to the Gardevoir, but was clearly a different creature. The two shared the same humanoid shape and color palette, but whereas Gallia was the picture of femininity, this creature's stockier build, pointed elbows, and distinct lack of any garment around the waist gave an impression that was on the decidedly male end of the spectrum. And behind him, trying to stay out of sight, was Fury, the... er... Fireon?

"Good evening, Miss Amy. I apologize that it took so long to return, I was caught up in dealing with a nuisance of mine. But I'm back, and I've brought some company along to discuss your... situation."

Amy felt the sinking feeling worsen as she stared up at the Gardevoir and her not-so-convincing smile. Wordlessly, she turned her gaze down to the floorboards, letting out a hollow sigh.

"So you don't believe me."

"What? I never said—"

Gallia tried to argue, but cut herself off. Amy heard a puff of air and watched out of the corner of her eye as the Pokémon approached and knelt down in front of her. There was a moment of hesitation, but she soon reached out a hand and put it under Amy's chin, lifting her head so that the two of them were eye-to-eye. The smile was gone, replaced with a look that was more akin to resignation. When she spoke next, her words were soft, almost reassuring

"Listen, I'll admit that I don't know whether or not to believe you. You have to understand how ridiculous your claims sounded earlier. But even then, you're still my patient and I'm giving you the benefit of the doubt. Your panic from earlier and how you treat your own words also lends you credit, so I'm willing to be convinced if you go through with talking to us."

She let go of Amy's head, standing up and brushing off her gown as she went on.

"But enough of that for the moment. I should go ahead and properly introduce you to these two gentle'mon first."

So saying, she stepped back to stand beside the Gardevoir-esque Pokémon. She again reached with her free hand and interlaced her fingers with his own. Her smile returned, more genuine than before.

"This is Sirden. He's a Gallade, loving husband to yours truly, and the captain of the guard in this half of Merri. Of course, what I call him all depends on my mood."

"It's a pleasure to finally see that you're awake."

Sirden ducked his head in a quick bow, the corners of his mouth quirking into a grin from his wife's teasing. He seemed so lax, yet there was a natural poise about the way he moved. Next, Gallia reached behind Sirden's legs with her own foot, scooting a familiar face from where he'd been waiting in the hopes that no one would notice him.

"And of course, this is Fury, the Flareon you ran into earlier. He's actually one of Sirden's newest recruits, though you'd never guess it from the way he acts."

"H-Hey! I'm working on fixing that! But, uh, I _am_ sorry that I made you faint."

The canid creature's head hung low, his long ears drooping as he tried to shrink away from everyone. It was a stark contrast to the concerned creature that had been the first to meet her. Perhaps if her head had been in a better place, she would've found something in that to smile about. But as it stood now, she simply nodded.

"It's fine, you don't need to be sorry. I guess I just wasn't expecting any of... _this_."

She waved a paw in a weak gesture, indicating everything around her. Gallia gave her own nod and stepped towards the window. Amy watched as she poked her head out, looking around for something before pulling back in and closing the shutters behind her. The room abruptly grew dark, and the former human quickly became aware of something coming from the basket the Gardevoir still held. A greenish glow.

Reaching in, she fished out a rotund stone that bathed the room in an ethereal light. Amy hardly expected such a thing, gasping in spite of herself at what she saw. It was some sort of moss or lichen growing on its surface. A bioluminescence on par with an old gas lamp, perhaps. She was so transfixed that she almost missed Gallia's next words.

"Well then, I think we should move on into the storage room; you still have quite a bit of explaining to do at this rate. We can also get you taken care of with food and water while we're at it. Do you have the strength to carry your egg, or would you have me do it?"

Amy blinked, glancing down and noting the obvious.

"You're, uh, joking... right? I don't even have hands."

"No, I meant—wait, what type were you before all this?"

"Type? What's that supposed to mean? And why can't we just talk in here?"

The room went silent. Suddenly, all three of the Pokémon were trading uncertain looks with one another. An unspoken conversation that was making Amy feel nervous all over again. Gallia eventually sighed, passing the basket and glowing stone to Sirden.

"It looks like I'll be carrying, then. Unless you object. As to why the storage room, well..."

She pointed. Amy followed her arm, looking over to see the room's closed shutter that still let a bit of dusk filter in.

"Some Pokémon have quite the sense of hearing. Moreover, your sudden arrival here has made everyone understandably curious, and I'm sure no one in this room wants what we're about to discuss spreading to every corner of Auristead. The storage just so happens to be the spot with the thickest walls, so to speak. That makes sense, doesn't it?"

"Yeah, I guess, but..."

"But what?

Amy opened her mouth, then hesitated. It wasn't that what the Gardevoir said didn't have sound logic behind it, quite the opposite. It was just... one of the things that had crossed her mind when she'd been waiting for Gallia, a simple realization that was making her cheeks heat up beneath her fur just by thinking about it. Meekly, she lowered herself back down, wishing to be small enough to hide behind her egg.

"I don't know if I can walk—on four legs, I mean. Up until today, I've only ever had two."

Gallia and Sirden traded another look, before both turned to stare at Fury. Sirden cleared his throat this time, speaking with polite authority.

"Fury, please show Miss Amy how to move about."

"_What?! _Why me?"

"Why not you? It shouldn't be too difficult. If I'm not mistaken, quadruped Pokémon don't even have to worry about balancing upright all that much, so it should only be a matter of copying the motion."

"But you know I don't like other 'mon staring at me."

"So I understand. Unfortunately for you, I'm giving an order as your captain to walk across this room."

"T-That's not—you... fine."

The Flareon spluttered before letting out an actual _whine_. Dejectedly, he shuffled toward the nearest wall and began walking, looking as if he wanted the floor to open up beneath him as everyone watched him move toward the opposite end of the room.

—**-**

"...Easier than I thought it'd be."

Amy murmured to herself, stepping carefully down the hall while Gallia and Sirden lead the way through the darkened patient house with a dispirited Fury lagging behind. It had token a close look and a few laps around the room, but Amy had caught on surprisingly quick to what she had to do. Walking on all fours wasn't so different from being on two legs, in a weird sort of way. It was almost like her back legs were the heels of a human foot, while the front legs were, well, whatever the front of a human foot was called. Locomotion was as simple as moving the 'heel' and 'front' in much the same way she would when walking upright.

And it felt liberating, finally being able to leave the emptiness of her room after the few hours she'd spent in it; the stimulation even seemed to be helping with her mood. Sure, she still felt... lost, but being able to focus on an action as opposed to being stuck with nothing but her thoughts was nice. She just wished the ambiance wasn't so off-putting, walking down a dark hall, illuminated only by the pale green glow of a strange plant or fungus or whatever.

She continued to follow, taking note of a few other rooms that were likewise hidden away behind curtains. She counted five others like it before reaching the end of the hall and rounding a corner that opened into a much larger space. It seemed to be a lobby or common room, with a few cushions neatly arranged in small clusters and a pair of actual doors framed into the wall on both the left and right sides of the room. Sirden strode ahead and to the right, keeping the basket in the crook of his arm and opened the door with an exaggerated flourish. Gallia just rolled her eyes and smiled, closing the distance and entering the next room. Amy followed suit, flanked from behind by the two males. Into the storage room?

And honestly? There wasn't anything special about it. It was lit up as Sirden entered and was just another room but for a single crate, a few pillows, a stool or two, and other miscellaneous things that were either strewn about or stacked haphazardly. There was also a cluttered countertop, which the Gallade placed the basket and light on top of before pulling a pillow from the top of a stack and sliding it across the floor where Amy had come to a stop. She stared down at the plush object for a moment before remembering she was meant to sit on it.

And so she hunkered down, making herself as comfortable as possible before Gallia laid the egg against the young woman's side. She then stepped away and approached the counter, reaching into the basket and pulling various things out. There was a jar filled with what was probably just water, a small cloth, and two wooden bowls—one being empty while the other was filled with something Amy couldn't readily identify from the lack of proper lighting. Quick as a wink, the Gardevoir had opened the jar and dipped the rag into the water, wrung it out, and returned to wipe at all the matted fur on her face. It stung both skin and pride to be tended to, but she stayed silent and endured it. That was when Sirden decided to speak.

"So, you're not really an Espeon, huh?"

Amy stiffened, caught off guard by the Gallade's question. Gallia stopped her work and the two of them both turned to stare at him. He'd made himself comfortable on the floor, sitting cross-legged with Fury nearby. His own gaze wasn't exactly intimidating, but there was definitely a sense of expectancy. Amy hesitated, biting her lip, while Gallia gave him a flat look.

"Sirden, couldn't you have at least waited for me to finish cleaning her up and settling her in before you started prodding?"

He shrugged.

"I don't see the point in it. I may not be proficient in my Psychic-type skills, but I can still read a room. None of us really want to be here right now. I just thought that the sooner we can have this talk, the sooner we can make sense of everything and plan our next steps."

Another moment of silence passed between them all before Gallia broke it with a sigh, raising the cloth once more and moving to rub more carefully around Amy's eyes. Amy thought for a moment before finally then letting out a grunt.

"No, I'm not. But... does anyone else know?"

Sirden didn't answer, instead looking to Gallia. The Gardevoir stepped back from her work, apparently satisfied, and shook her head.

"No. Sirden was the only one I told, though Fury _was_ in the room next door when you started confessing things, so he's also aware. But as things stand now, the three of us in this room are hopefully the only ones who know about this secret."

"Good."

Amy relaxed, feeling some of the tightness in her chest unwind a bit. Sirden simply smiled back.

"I'd certainly hope so. It's not exactly commonplace for an Espeon of all things to just pop up and claim that they're some being from another world."

"A... human."

Every head swiveled to Fury, who seemed lost in thought as he stared down at the floorboards. He glanced up, noticed the stares, and immediately tried making himself scarce in the room's long shadows.

"Sorry, don't mind me."

Sirden raised a brow.

"You sure? It sounds like you're thinking pretty hard over there."

"It's not that at all, I'm just... it's crazy to wrap my mind around it, y'know? The idea that something other than a Pokémon could actually exist."

Amy felt her heart skip.

"Wait, do you mean it's only Pokémon here?"

She looked between the three creatures before her, settling on Gallia and watching as the healer approached the counter once more, filling the empty bowl with the water jar. She gave a thoughtful hum.

"That isn't technically the case, Miss Amy. There are also insects—tiny, hideous creatures that aren't to be confused with Bug-type Pokémon. Other than that? Well, _I've _certainly never heard of a human before today. But before I get distracted, here's your food and water. It isn't much, but it should hold you over until tomorrow."

She placed the two bowls down in front of Amy's pillow. One had water, while the other was filled with... fruit? That's what it seemed like, but it was a fruit unlike anything Amy had ever seen before. They were round and blue, but they were far too large to be blueberries. The skin was also textured in a way that reminded her of an even smaller clementine. Curious, she lowered her head and sniffed at the offered food. The scent was unfamiliar, but rather pleasant. She reached forward to grab one, only to be reminded of her lack of hands as her paw settled on top of the blue fruit. She stared for a second, and then her face grew very hot as the realization of how she was expected to eat dawned on her.

She didn't want to eat like a dog or a cat, not at all. But now that something had been put out in front of her, a switch had been flipped and a pain ran through her stomach. She was _ravenous—_never in her life had she ever felt this starved. She tried to fight it, but whatever had surfaced was just too animal an urge to hold out on. Before she could even think about wrangling control over herself, she scooped up a whole fruit with her mouth and bit down with all the reckless abandon of some hungry stray. She pierced the thin peel with ease and was immediately rewarded with a burst of heavenly flavor. It was unique, definitively sweet, but well-balanced with tart and bitter undertones. She shuddered, mouth full as she chewed through the fleshy insides and hard bits of seed.

"Don't eat too fast. The last thing we want to see are those berries coming up the same way they went down."

Amy paused, though not before swallowing hard and downing most everything in her mouth in a single gulp. She looked up at the Gardevoir with a hot face and a skeptical look.

"Berries? I mean—that might fit in the technical sense, like a cucumber, but you can't seriously tell me that you just casually call something this big a berry, right?"

Gallia just stared.

"Oh my gods... you've never eaten an Oran Berry, have you?"

"Er, no. But these things are pretty good. That or it's just my tongue playing tricks on me."

Amy eyed the food, face still flushing as she lowered her head and snatched up another of the so-called berries in her mouth. She took the Gardevoir's advice and tried to take it a little slower, however difficult that may be; it really did taste good, something that her stomach loudly agreed with to her further embarrassment. Three berries later and she moved on to the water, opting to stick her whole muzzle in and gulp down water as opposed to lapping it up. She drained a good bit of the refreshing liquid before having to come up to breathe. She glanced back up and swept her gaze around the room before it landed on Sirden, who met it with that same intent look as before. His position had shifted a bit, now reclined against the wall opposite her.

"Alright, let's not waste any more time and try to move things along. From what Gallia told me, you seemed quite confused about your predicament, so we should try and fix that. Here's what I had in mind: we can take turns answering each other's questions. You can ask us anything you want, and we can try and answer to the best of our abilities. Of course, this goes the other way as well, and there are a few things we'd appreciate knowing. Try not to worry though, if you genuinely don't know an answer or don't feel comfortable answering, then simply say as such and we'll move on. Sound fair?"

Amy hesitated, mulling the proposal over before eventually nodding.

"That should work. Guess there's no point in putting it off, then. Um, you can go first if you want to."

The Gallade grunted in response, sitting forward and rubbing at his chin.

"Let's see... I suppose the first question would be the most obvious, but it's important all the same: what are you, exactly? What even _is_ a human?"

Amy frowned at the question. It sounded simple enough, but how would she explain a human to something that wasn't, well, familiar with humans? It wasn't at all like explaining to an hyper-intelligent dog or a cat, because they would at least know what a human was. And she hadn't exactly rehearsed an explanation in the event of little green aliens crashing a UFO

in her backyard. In the end, she decided that trying to give a simple answer was the easiest way to go.

"Hmm... the best way to put it is that we're... just animals. Creatures that have nothing really going for us except for how intelligent we are. But I guess even that isn't too special, since you all seem just as smart as I am..."

She winced at the wording of that last sentence. It made her sound so conceited! Fortunately, her companions either let it slide or simply didn't care as they mulled everything over. Fury especially looked as though the gears in his head were whirring away. Gallia, who'd since pulled up a stool to sit beside Sirden, just stared.

"...What's an animal?"

Amy's train of thought came to a grinding halt. How could she _not _know what an animal was? Especially after just talking about insects? She was about to open her mouth and ask as much, but to her surprise, Fury piped up first.

"I think it's her home's version of life. Animal would be to human what Pokémon would be to an Eevee or a Pikachu. I think."

The Flareon looked up, noticed that every eye was tracking him again, and then flattened himself against the floorboards like an overly fluffy bearskin rug.

"I-I'm probably wrong, though, so please keep ignoring me."

"No, I don't know much of anything about Pokémon, but that sounds pretty good! Hold on, I think I'm coming up with a better way to explain everything."

Am furrowed her brow, her tail twitching about while she thought. It wasn't agitation, though, it was something else entirely. Without really meaning to, she'd stumbled into a sort of catharsis, a kind of vent in explaining her home that made her feel far better than she had any right to be. But still she chased it, scooping up another Oran Berry and chewing slowly, thoughtfully. She swallowed after a good minute of and the words were a lot easier to find.

"Back home, we categorize life. One of those categories are animals. Humans are a species of animal... even though we sometimes pretend we're not. There are tons of other species, but no other has the same intelligence that humans do. We're the only ones to have created complex language, to have shaped the world around us to our will, and to have created society, civilization."

Sirden nodded.

"That makes more sense. So your kind are like the civilized Pokémon, with all our intricate workings, while other species of these animals of yours are more akin to the feral Pokémon that live on little more than instinct and the will to survive. Interesting."

"And there's no way to turn them?"

Gallia was leaned forward on her stool now, curiosity written all over her face. Amy thought for a second, taking another sip, or rather, dip from her water bowl before answering.

"Not really. I mean, we can train a few of them to follow simple orders, but other than that? No."

The Gardevoir made a noise, leaning back with an expression that was difficult to place.

"Hmm... I suppose this is more information than we'd hoped to get. I'll be honest, Sirden and I were afraid that you'd be a lot more secretive. But at any rate, is there anything you have on your mind to ask?"

"Uh, you wouldn't happen to know how exactly I got here, would you? It's not that I'm _not _happy that I'm still alive with my baby, but I still want to know how."

No sooner had the question left her mouth than Gallia's expression darkened. And in the limited light, that wasn't a pleasant thing to see. She inhaled deeply and let out a long sigh. Sirden, who looked more amused than anything, decided to take the wheel from his wife and answered on her behalf.

"That would have to be a no, Miss Amy. If we knew the 'how', then this would be an entirely different conversation. Though in that vein, we don't exactly have all the knowledge that we know exists at the moment."

Amy sagged a bit. She wasn't sure why she was expecting any other answer, but it still made her heart sink. Still, that last bit made her wonder...

"What do you mean?"

Sirden gave another shrug.

"Gallia and I weren't the ones who first found you. You were more or less handed over by a colleague—"

"Hah! If he's even half that, then I have royal lineage!"

Gallia remarked coldly, sounding more than a little irate about something. A piece of the puzzle from earlier clicked into place and Amy realized that this Pokémon, whoever he was, was probably the cause of the Gardevoir's frustration before she'd come into the patient house. Sirden just rolled his eyes, going on as normal.

"Right, well, this Pokémon of ours has been difficult to work with since he first found you. He refuses to speak to anyone in regards to how or where he found you until he's had a chance to speak with you in private. He may know something about all this that no one else does, but considering what we've learned about you, I'm not so sure that talking to him would be a good option anymore."

Amy felt a grimace cross her face. There was a lot to unpack, and it seemed to imply that she was in a tricky spot. There was another Pokémon around here who might know something about her being here, but she could read into the nuance: neither Gallia nor Sirden trusted him enough to think that he wouldn't try to get information out of her. And it made sense, because now that Amy's initial panic attack was over, she wasn't so sure that she really wanted anyone else knowing she wasn't what she appeared to be. What would even happen if more Pokémon knew? That was a tough one to answer, in part because she didn't understand this new world that she'd landed herself into. But that was part of the reason why the four of them were exchanging questions, wasn't it? With that in mind, the next logical steps came quite easily asAmy asked her next question. Perhaps it wasn't the right one, but she still wanted to know.

"Okay, if I can't know the 'how', can I at least know the 'where'?"

The former human looked meaningfully at the Gallade, who in turn did the same to Gallia, successfully redirecting the question.

"You can have this one, dear. It should put you in a better mood."

The Gardevoir hesitated, before letting out another huff and readjusting her position.

"Fine, but only because it's an opportunity to teach. Let's see... I believe that I've already told you that we're in Merri, haven't I?"

Amy nodded.

"Mhm."

"Well, let's ignore that for a moment and take things from the top. Where we are currently is the continent of Amaranth, one of four major landmasses—five if you're one of the Pokémon who consider the Compass Isles to be a continent—_which it is not. _Here on Amaranth, we have several kingdoms and a sovereign territory. Where we are now is the kingdom of Auristead, more specifically, the southeastern border. I could probably go for a while talking about our specifics, like governing body—parliamentary monarchy, obviously—type and species demographics for major cities, and other pieces of trivia, but I'll give you the basics. We're the largest and arguably most well-off of all the Amaranthian kingdoms, though you'd never know it from being in this little village of ours. We're pretty secluded and quite literally within spitting distance of Ridan, another large kingdom bordering to the south. I wish I'd brought my maps now, or even some of my notes, but I'd worry that it may be too much at once..."

She began to drift away from her little blurb, already looking thoughtful and in a better mood as compared to a few moments ago. That was both reassuring and helpful for Amy in at least getting her bearings. Sure, there was far more she probably needed to know, but this was as good a start as any. It also wasn't as if she couldn't just ask any more questions, either. Speaking of, that was two questions she'd had answered for the two that had been asked of her. This probably meant that it was time to answer something else, so she took a drink of water, took another berry, and settled down with her egg pulled close. There were a few moments of silence before, again, Fury of all the Pokémon slunk forward to shoot a question of his own.

"Uh... a few hours back when you were talking to Gallia, I heard you say something about Pokémon and how they weren't supposed to exist. What did you mean by that?"

Amy choked, going on a coughing fit and nearly spitting up her food in the process.

"W-Well, you see..."

—**-**

In the end, it hadn't been too difficult to explain Pokémon, or perhaps the lack thereof to the others. It all boiled down to giving an oversimplified answer: Pokémon were just fictional creatures where she came from. Amy had a sneaking suspicion that they wouldn't understand the concept of video games, or even electronics in general if she tried to explain it all, so she went for the path of least resistance and hoped it was the right call.

The more serious questioning continued for a bit, but it wasn't long before everything just devolved into a conversation. They would talk about little things, mundane points that had no bearing on anything, and ask intermittent questions. And those too became increasingly unimportant; questions such as 'is that gown really a part of your body?' or 'can _that _many humans really live in just one city?!'. Inquiries that only helped everyone warm up to one another. By the time it had come to an end, Amy had long emptied the food and water bowls and lounged on the pillow with her egg. Fury had even dozed off at some point, listening to everyone talk or explain things such as the different kinds of berries, or describing what a dogs and a rabbits were to prove that said Flareon looked like the spawn of both.

And now Amy was back in her room. The cool evening air felt nice and cool, as opposed to the storage room and how stuffy it had grown after a while. Night had long since fallen outside, and the darkness beyond the shutters seemed absolute as she, aided by the glowing moss rock, nestled down once more with Gallia placing a bundled up egg at her side.

"This evening was far more entertaining than I thought it'd be. My only regret is not owning a Psychic Gem to amplify my abilities and probe your mind to see your home for myself."

"Wait, what?"

Amy peered up at the Gardevoir, who stared back with an absent look before realization crossed her face and she waved a dismissive hand.

"Ah, I forgot that we never got to the topic of Pokémon typing. I'm going to assume from before that you probably don't know what that may be or what it entails, so we'll talk about that at some point. For now, just know that that was a Psychic's joke. An awful one."

"Okay...?"

The former human made a face, still not quite sure how to respond. Gallia stood up and herself out before making her way to the other end of the room where Sirden and a drowsy Fury were waiting. The Gallade seemed to ponder something before he decided to crouch down and set the glowing moss rock in the corner of the room closest to him.

"I think I'll leave the Luminous Moss here with you, Miss Amy. I've no doubts that the nights can be disheartening on your own, and the only thing worse than being alone is being alone in the dark, so hopefully this will be enough company to get you through until morning."

"Oh, uh, thanks. But how will you get back to wherever you're sleeping?"

"I wouldn't worry. Our house isn't even thirty paces away. Besides, it wouldn't be the first time any of us had to feel our way through the night. We can get back, grab a lantern, and then Fury and I will do our nightly rounds before going off to bed."

"But—"

Fury opened his mouth to protest, but was immediately silenced by a pointed look from his captain. He lowered his head, turning away and sauntering to the doorway.

"Guess I'll just be in the hall waiting. Umm... it was nice to meet you, Amy—er, you're fine with me calling you that, right?"

Amy gave a vague, indifferent gesture.

"That's what everyone else back home called me. I don't see why that would change now."

"A-Alright then. I'll see you later."

He slipped past the curtain, disappearing behind the cloth before Amy turned her focus back to the Pokémon couple.

"So, what's next?"

The question hung in the air, hovering overhead, challenged only by deafening silence. The pair of Pokémon shifted a bit, but the spell was broken by a sudden yawn that Gallia had to stifle. With a quiet chuckle, the Gardevoir shrugged.

"Honestly? Sleep is an enticing option. It's been a long day for all of us, and we could all use some rest... even if you've just woken up from at least two days of it. Some time in the morning, Sirden or I will return with breakfast, and then we can continue this conversation and perhaps come up with a plan of action."

"Oh. Okay then."

Amy readjusted on her pillow, glancing around the room. There was so much more she could've said, but the silence was still there, permeating the air like a physical thing. This time it was Sirden who spoke up, ending things before they became too awkward.

"I wouldn't worry. If your nerves are as frayed as Gallia let on before we arrived, you may be more exhausted than you think. If you just clear your mind long enough and close your eyes, it'll be morning before you know it. In the meantime, we'd better take our leave and finish up what we need to before it gets too late."

"Alright..."

Amy watched as the Gallade turned and disappeared behind the curtain. Now it was just her and Gallia. The elegant Pokémon glanced between her and the doorway, a conflicted look on her face, before forcing a smile and giving a slight bow.

"Good night, Miss Amy. I'll see you in the morning, or perhaps around lunch. It depends on how busy I am sleeping."

With that, she too turned to leave, though it looked more like a twirl with how her gown billowed out. She vanished like a phantom into the dark hallway. Amy listened as a group of footsteps traveled down the hall, leaving her to her own devices with the sound of a door opening and closing a short ways away.

Alone, just like that.

The distraction was over. Without the company of anyone else to keep her occupied, she could already feel that same emptiness from before creeping back in. She let out a sigh and laid herself down, getting into that same prone position from earlier. By herself, with nothing but her own thoughts to keep her busy. Not good thoughts, either. The kind of things that were as dark and mangled as the shadows cast about the room by her new nightlight.

She turned her head, peeking at the egg by her side. It peeked back, the shell illuminated by the pale glow. The peek turned into a stare, and then into another once-over of her new body. Everything had felt so... _natural _back in the storage room, but now that feeling was fleeting fast, replaced with what it had been previously. She felt like a foreigner, a _freak_, and so many other things that had been hiding just below that listless mask from before everyone had come to see her.

She grit her teeth and averted her eyes from the furry body, blinking several times coming to rest her head back on her forelegs. She stared ahead for several minutes after that, looking at nothing in particular, before resigning herself to try and fall asleep. She wasn't even sure if she could do it at first, and for a while that was the case. But after thinking back to what Sirden had told her, she tried to clear her mind.

It was dreadfully difficult, trying to chase away such morbid thoughts, but something funny came of it. Ironically, the mental effort of trying to keep her thoughts at rest was what exhausted her enough to lull her to sleep. A restless slumber with the faintest of lights burning against the never-ending night.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**And here it is, the second chapter of of **_**A Home Like No Other**_'**s rewrite. Like with the first chapter, this bears a resemblance to the original version. But unlike the original, events in this chapter have taken a slightly different turn. Sirden debuted two chapters early, and Fury has already had a much more notable presence. I've also tried to inject a bit more personality into the two, because they were, frankly, far too bland in the original for my liking. I just hope that it went over well. I also hope that the chapter as a whole was enjoyable, because while it had similarities to the original, I'm worried that it lacked the same energy and came out as being disconnected from V1-Ch1.**

**Also, I had originally planned for this chapter to be released before the school year started for some of my readers, but I was unable to. For that I apologize and am thankful for your patience with me. I don't know when the next chapter will be up, but I'm working on hammering out a solid release schedule for me to follow. **

**Otherwise, feel free to leave a review or PM listing any typos or spelling errors in this chapter for me to fix. I try my hardest, but more often than not, I end up missing something.**

**See ya next chapter!**

**Volume 1, Chapter 2 Trivia:**

**There is no trivia for Volume 1, Chapter 2.**


	3. Vol 1 - Chapter 3

**A Home Like No Other**

**Vol. 1, Chapter 3**

* * *

"Go ahead, touch it."

"What? But I'll wake her up."

"No you won't. It looks like she's still dead asleep. Just slip on in, touch the gem, and come back. Easy as breathing... unless you're a scaredy-Skitty."

"_Am not_—"

"_Shh! _Not so loud. But if you're not, then why don't you go ahead and prove it already."

"...Fine."

It was a pair of voices that woke Amy from her sleep. Not a nightmare, not the encroaching light of day, and certainly not her own self telling her to rise and shine, just the voices of two children, a boy and a girl, whisper-shouting to one another as she rested. The young woman grunted quietly, snuggled her baby, and tried drifting back to sleep. She stayed that way for all of a few seconds before her groggy brain decided that it wanted to start working properly. The world around her came trickling back, and her heart beat a little faster. There was fur everywhere, the feeling of parts lost and gained, and the memory of all that had transpired yesterday. Slowly, she opened her eyes and stared.

It wasn't her bedroom, but a sparse space with a rustic charm about it. She glanced down and saw two slender forelegs wrapped around something. An ovoid object tucked comfortably against her stomach. Her baby... her egg.

It hadn't all been a dream after all.

Her mouth felt dry all of a sudden. She swallowed hard, fighting to not give in to another panic attack like the one from yesterday. This was fine, all she had to do was try and take things slow. The former human moved to get up from her pillow—and stopped. She had barely moved an inch before an audible gasp sounded from behind her, followed by a scurrying sound moving out of the room and down the hall.

With a great deal of apprehension, Amy turned her head from where she lay, shifting onto her back to get a better view. It was all ceiling... until she craned her neck and got an upside-down view of _something_ standing a mere foot from her face, frozen mid-step with an outstretched paw.

Amy let out a startled cry, a shrill noise echoed back by the creature as it leapt backwards. She was up in an instant, nearly falling off her pillow in a parody of how she'd first reacted the day prior. Confused and panicked, she watched the intruder try and make a one-eighty out of the room, only to misjudge where it had been standing. It took off in the opposite direction, slamming face-first into the solid wall with a _thunk_. There was a pained _squeak_, and the creature slid to the floor, motionless.

It was a rat, or perhaps rat Pokémon would've been more appropriate. Regardless, it looked far different from the rodents that Amy knew back home. Its fur was purple, with a creamy underside, and it wielded a tail that was furry and curled at the tip, as opposed to scaly and straight all the way down. Otherwise, everything else checked out as a typical mouse or rat went: rounded ears, some whiskers, and—from what she could imagine from her current viewing angle angle—a nasty set of incisors that were ready to chew through any inconvenience. That thought alone was enough to send shivers up her spine.

She must've stood there and stared for a full minute before it registered that the rat Pokémon still wasn't moving. She glanced back to her egg that sat behind her, and back to the Pokémon, not sure what to do. Well, she had a few ideas, but that would mean either getting closer to the rat to see if it was even alive, or leaving her egg alone with it while she tried to get help.

Amy grimaced. She was pretty sure that there was no one here to help her, and she wasn't too keen on the idea of bringing unwanted attention by calling for help. So what should she do?

"Nngh... ow..."

The voice pulled her back to her senses. Her mind connected the dots, and she realized that she was probably looking at one of the two Pokémon that had woken her up. She watched as the rat-child began to stir from where he'd fallen, rising to his haunches and clutching at his muzzle. He turned around, clearly dazed, and paused as he met Amy's gaze for a second time. His eyes were brimming with tears, and a thin line of blood trickled down from one nostril. He let out a strangled sound, backing against the wall with a terrified look on his face.

"Please don't eat me! I'm sorry! It was Lizzie's idea to sneak in, honest!"

Amy made a face, her eyes widening.

"_Eat you?_ Why would you even say that? And—hold on, are you okay? You're bleeding!"

He paused, bringing his paw away from his nose and noticed a bit of red smeared on it. He looked back up, his face a mask of horror.

"Oh no! Please don't tell my Ma! She'll be really mad if she finds out I got hurt again!"

He looked panicked, quite literally on the verge of tears. It was a strange situation for Amy to find herself in, because by all accounts, the whole thing was backwards. It should've played out as her having a near-breakdown in front of a befuddled rat-child, not the other way around. But that's how it played out, and it did something to her. A part of her smoldered and sparked to life, a piece that she'd long thought stomped out so long ago by events in her life. She cast a quick glance back to her egg, and nudged it and the blankets around until everything was once more nestled beside her. Next, she made herself laying sphinx-style on the pillow. She motioned to the panicking Pokémon, who'd once again froze at seeing her move, and patted the space opposite the side of where her egg sat.

"Calm down. Just... sit."

And that was it, a simple command, but it didn't _sound_ like one, not to her. Amy's voice was low, gentler than it had been in a long, long time, and the child listened, sort of. He seemed to wrestle some control back, stopping to wipe at his eyes and nose. He looked at the spot beside her warily, but still approached. He made it a few steps before stopping, deciding that plopping down on the floor in front of her was good enough. Amy smiled and held back a chuckle as she spoke.

"Oh, don't be like that. I'm not gonna hurt you."

"But my Ma... she says that I should never listen to 'mon I don't know."

Amy raised a brow.

"Really? Well, she sounds like a really smart parent for teaching you that. Alright, why don't we introduce ourselves so we're not strangers. My name's Amy, who do I have the pleasure of speaking with this fine morning?"

"Uh... um... my name's Tiran, i-it's nice to meet you. I've never seen a real-life Espeon before!"

"Well, it's very nice to meet you, Tiran. And who taught you to have manners like that?"

In spite of it all—the situation, the hit to the nose (that looked to have stopped bleeding), and how nervous or afraid he may have been—Tiran grinned, almost preening at her words. He seemed to be enjoying this a lot more, which was good, because Amy was still getting her own grin from it all. Again, she patted the spot next to her, and again, the rat Pokémon moved. He still seemed unsure, but relented nevertheless, crawling up onto the pillow next to her. Amy nodded.

"There we are. Now, does your nose still hurt? It looked like you hit your face pretty hard on the wall."

"Oh, I think I'm okay. It hurt, but I got hit by one of Lizzie's Quick Attacks once, and I didn't even faint!"

Tiran puffed up a little more, wearing what he said like some sort of badge. Amy wasn't exactly sure what that meant, but she could infer. She made a thoughtful noise.

"Alright, but I still think you should get it looked at just to be sure. Someone will probably be here sooner or later to check on me, and they'd know more than me and you. But answer me this: why were you sneaking up on me like that?"

She tried her hardest not to sound scolding, but the child still flinched at the question. He was quiet at first, shrinking up in much the same way that Fury had the day before, but he must've realized that the question wouldn't just go away simply by ignoring it, so he looked over with those tried and tested puppy dog eyes that only a guilty child could give.

"We weren't doing anything bad. We just wanted to see you up close and touch your gem."

"My... gem?"

"Mhm, when Miss Gallia and Captain Sirden brought you here, Lizzie said she heard one of the grown-ups say touching an Espeon's gem gives you good luck! We tried waiting, but you were asleep for days! So Lizzie got me and we tried to touch it on our own. No one even saw us sneak in."

The rat-child relaxed, having spilled the beans of what he and this 'Lizzie' had been up to. But it had all left Amy behind as she sat and stared blankly ahead. On little more than a hunch, she adjusted her position a bit and reached a tentative paw up. The appendage had nowhere near the range of motion as her human hand, but she was able to maneuver it above her face and onto her forehead. Sure enough, the back of her paw found a break in the fur, running over a raised surface that was smooth, hard, and deadened to the touch. She put a bit more pressure on it, but again, the only feeling was of something hard pressing into her skull. Slowly, she lowered her paw.

"Hmm..."

And that was all. There was no freak out, no questions of whether or not the suspected gem on her forehead was even supposed to be there, just a vague... acceptance. There was no use in it; the object had likely been embedded in her head from the very beginning, and if it were of any concern, then Gallia would've surely done something about it while she was unconscious. At least, that's how it was rationalized.

"I should probably find a mirror or something for a gander at myself. Oh well, do you still want to touch it?"

"Huh?"

Tiran, who had been listening in silence, cocked his head at the question. Amy just gave her new body's approximation of a shrug.

"My gem. Do you still want to touch it?"

"Oh, yes please!"

Amy cracked another smile.

"Alright then, have at it."

And he did. The young Pokémon hopped up from where he'd been laying and stepped around until the two of them were once more face-to-face. He had a giddy look on his face that reminded Amy of, well, an eager child, and he didn't even pause to think before reaching up with his own paw and pressing it right onto her forehead. As was the case just moments prior, thee was no real sensation from having the raised spot touched, just a pressure. He sat back and smiled, sitting there for a second, then two, then ten, before the look faded into one of confusion.

"I don't feel any luckier."

Amy snorted.

"I don't think it works like that, but hey, you did it! Now, let's try and get that blood off you before it dries and gets all icky."

—-

And after that, they just talked. It was similar to how things had played out in the supply room with Gallia and the others, only it was Tiran who took the helm and steered the conversation. The rodent Pokémon (or Rattata, as she'd learned) was surprisingly talkative once he warmed up to someone, and Amy listened intently as he babbled on about everything he'd done over the past few days while waiting for her to wake up. Simple things like playing hide-and-seek with some of the other children, or finding and stashing things away in some 'super secret hiding place' a short ways outside the village. She would nod every so often and comment something when she felt it necessary, but by and large, it was pretty one-sided. It wasn't that she didn't care, she just felt that the situation didn't allow for her to add anything meaningful. Her new companion didn't seem to mind either way, he was engrossed in his storytelling, and Amy was too—another distraction to take her mind off everything. The two were so caught up, in fact, that they didn't even notice when Sirden had entered the room until he spoke up.

"You two seem to have hit it off pretty good."

The pair started and turned as one, staring up at the Gallade as he stood in the doorframe with the curtain pushed aside. He looked just as relaxed and unconcerned as yesterday, though Amy did notice that his gaze lingered on Tiran before he stepped into the room proper. Said Pokémon hunched a bit and averted his gaze, but again, Sirden hardly seemed concerned.

"You know, Tiran, you should stop having yourself roped in with all of Lizzie's stunts."

Tiran looked back up, seemingly shocked.

"How did you know that?"

The Gallade smirked, kneeling to ruffle the child's furry head.

"It's not too hard to figure out. Every time you get into trouble, it's either because you didn't know any better, or because she talked you into doing something. I'm not too upset this time, but you need to learn to say no sometimes. One of these days your parents or I won't be around to stop something bad from happening, and you could end up hurt."

Tiran looked away, frowning.

"I know. I'm sorry..."

"Good. Now you go and get moving. Your mother's been turning the village upside-down looking for you."

"_Aww, _but I don't wanna go!"

Tiran groaned in protest, but the Gallade took it in stride.

"I'm sure you can come back later, after you see what your mother wants and maybe help with setting up for the caravan coming through later today. Besides, Miss Amy, Gallia, and I need to talk about some very important things."

"...Boring grown-up things?"

"You know it."

The child let out a huff, rising from where he'd made himself comfortable. He trudged across the room, though not before glancing back at Amy with one of the most pitiful looks she'd ever seen. She tried not to let it bother her though, retaliating with her own apologetic smile.

"Sorry, there's nothing I can do about. Just do what you need to and come back later. I promise we can talk some more if you want."

And that was that. Tiran turned, leaving the room with his head hung low and tail dragging along the floorboards as he slipped behind the curtain. She listened to the pitter-patter of footsteps growing further away until she heard nothing. Wordlessly, Sirden eyed the covered doorway and rose to his feet, stepping out of the room as well. Suddenly having a moment to herself, Amy looked around the space and blinked a few times. Shifting to curl more of herself around her egg, she began ruminating over all that had just happened. She'd... talked to a Pokémon. Of course, she'd done the same thing yesterday, but this felt different to her in some way.

Was it because she played a more active part in starting the conversation? She couldn't say for certain if that was the case or if there was something more to it, but it had happened regardless. Perhaps it was best that she didn't put much thought into it—especially with how much there still was for her to think on and come to grips with. The curtain was pushed aside, and Amy was pulled out of the moment as Sirden stepped into the room for a second time.

"Sorry about that. Had to make sure the little guy actually left. I hope he wasn't too much of a bother for you."

He let out a quiet sigh and leaned against a wall. Amy moved a bit and shook her head.

"Er, no, not at all. He was actually pretty good company. All his talking helped keep my mind off... things."

The two fell silent. Sirden eyed her with a strange look, one she couldn't really put into words. It was almost like sympathy, but mixed with something else. He let out a grunt.

"Right. Well, try not to hold anything against him if you can help it. He's a good kid, there's just a lot of growing up left for him to do. At any rate, the fact that you didn't wake up screaming loud enough for half the village to hear seems like a great improvement from yesterday."

Amy shifted a bit more.

"No... I couldn't have been that loud."

"I don't know, from what I heard, every 'mon with a decent ear heard. The only reason Fury popped in before me was because I was making rounds up the creek we have running through the village. I was out of the know until he told me a bit later. He'd managed to convince himself you were being murdered by the time he reached your room. It wasn't funny at the time, but thinking back now—"

He let out a chuckle, polite and good-natured, but it still left Amy to debate burying her face in the pillow to hide a blush that her fur was probably doing a decent enough job at. The Gallade pushed off the wall and stepped across the room. Amy watched as he approached the shutters and undid the latch, opening them up and letting a cool breeze blow in. She peered out the window, looking up at what little sky she could see behind the treetops. The silence returned, a solemn echo of herself. She turned, frowning.

"So... what now...?"

Sirden shrugged.

"That depends. In the grand scheme of things? I'm just as clueless as you are. But if you're asking about right this moment, I'd say breakfast would be a good place to start. I doubt that just one bowl of berries for dinner is enough to undo three days of not eating."

Amy's frown deepened. That wasn't exactly the answer she expected, but he did bring up a good point—now that he pointed it out, what she'd eaten, while delicious, seemed to have only curbed her hunger, and now she was acutely aware of how empty her stomach remained. She pushed herself up onto her haunches.

"Alright then, what do I need to do? Are you just going to bring it, or..."

She trailed of, eyeing Sirden as he raised a brow.

"Mm... no, I think you're well enough to come outside and get it."

"_WHAT?!"_

Amy shot to her feet, backing up and nearly falling off of her pillow for the second time. She clutched at the blanket of her child, pulling the egg towards her as she tried to put a bit more distance between her and the Pokémon. She shook her head rapidly.

"_Nonono, _I can't do that! I don't even know what it's like out there! Is it safe? I thought you and Gallia—what do I even do? What if questions start getting thrown my way, things that I can't answer? I—I don't—"

"Hey, relax. You're working yourself up over nothing. Stop thinking and take deep, slow breaths. Focus on the breathing... There, just like that."

Amy obeyed, taking deep, shaky breaths and gripping the blanket as hard as she could given her lack of hands. Her tail was lashing, and she couldn't really meet the taller Pokémon's eyes.

"Sorry, I... you just caught me off guard. Um, don't you think this is all a bit too fast? I mean, I'm still trying to process me being here in the first place, and now you just want me to walk out there all willy-nilly? I don't know if I can."

She looked away, feeling her ears droop a bit. There was another pause between the two, but it was different, more contemplative. After a moment, her eyes slid back to the Gallade, who's placid expression had vanished, replaced with a much more serious look. He spoke slowly, more pensively.

"Listen, I'm not going to pretend that I understand what you're going through—because I don't. But... I think you're underestimating your own ability. I wouldn't have even mentioned the idea if Gallia and I didn't think it was something you could do. Trust me, there's nothing to worry about. I'm only going to take you to our house for breakfast."

"R-Really? Are you sure...?"

"Yup. If it's just the other villagers that you're worried about, then you can rest easy knowing that they'll leave us alone. Most of them are at the clearing, cleaning it up for some traders stopping in for a couple days. And if we do happen to see someone, you'll probably just be stared at. I can only think of two Pokémon off the top of my head that would actually walk up and start a conversation with you, and I already walked in on you talking to one of them."

Amy bit her lip. It all sounded reassuring, yes, but she still didn't know whether or not this was a good idea. Sirden seemed to pick up on it, because he continued speaking, making himself comfortable against the windowsill.

"Tell you what: why don't we just take a few steps out the front door and go from there? If at any point you feel like you're going to start panicking, just say the word and we can head back. How does that sound?"

"I... alright. But only a few steps, okay? Nothing more than that until I make up my mind. But what about my baby? I still can't carry anything."

"Oh, that? It shouldn't be too difficult of a problem to work around; you can either let me carry it for you, or we can get Fury to do more egg-sitting. Whatever you're more comfortable with."

Sirden waved a dismissive hand, appearing not to be concerned in the slightest. It was enough to win him a scowl from Amy despite herself, but she still took what he'd suggested seriously, weighing either option as she stared long and hard at what her child had become. Her face clouded a bit, but she shook her head and shoved the thoughts away, looking back up.

"You can carry it. I don't really want to leave it out of sight. Just—_please_ be careful."

"You have my word. In that case, let me fetch a fresh blanket for the basket and we'll be on our way."

He indicated the little bit of blood stained from where Tiran had wiped his face. Amy nodded and the Gallade went about getting things together. He returned in short order, carefully placing her egg back into the same basket it had been first presented to her in. With everything settled, she followed him out of the room.

**—-**

The two rounded the corner at the end off the hall, and Amy found herself pausing as she saw the common room in a literal new light. Illuminated by the morning sun, she quickly realized that the space had been a lot smaller than it had appeared with the lack of light. If her new sense of scale was right, it was probably around the size of a small living room. There was also another hallway directly across from them that she hadn't noticed the night before, but what drew her attention (apart from closely watching her egg) was the door to the left. It had that same cabin-esque look as the rest of the building, and she could see light filtering in from the gaps in the doorframe, along with a pair of shutters that sat on either side of it, like the one that had been in her room. Most notable, however, was the crude little doggy door that was cut out from the door's bottom—a simple plane of wood swinging freely from a pair of hinges nailed into the larger structure. It answered the question as to how Fury and Tiran had both managed to enter.

Sirden crossed the room with Amy still at his heels, but both paused as they reached the door. The Gallade turned and gestured vaguely at it.

"You ready?"

Amy opened her mouth, but the words died in her throat as she stared longer and longer at the exit. She turned to look at her egg, then to the door, and back to her egg. She shifted her weight from paw to paw, clenching her teeth as she focused on the handle.

"I don't—"

She didn't even get halfway through what she was going to say before Sirden moved. In one smooth motion, he reached out and gripped the door's handle, unceremoniously pushing it open to the outside world. The former human took a reflexive step back, squinting at the sudden surge of light now pouring into the room. She blinked a few more times, letting her eyes adjust before staring out into the world that waited just outside.

There wasn't much to it, at least not from what was visible from where she was. There was a dirt path leading up to the doorway from a larger road, and trees... lots and lots of trees. There was also a dwelling across the way, a simple cabin not unlike something she'd imagine waited in the wilderness for a hunter to use. Apart from that, there was nothing else to see—certainly no bloodthirsty creatures waiting for the very moment she stepped outside to attack. Amy let out a breath she didn't know she was holding, finally noticing that she'd been too caught up to notice that Sirden had moved outside and was holding the door open with his body. He watched her expectantly.

"Well, are you coming?"

She didn't bother answering, she just stepped forward until she reached the doorframe and paused. She stared down at the dirt in front of her for a few seconds, and then reached out a paw and placed it carefully on the ground. The deadened skin from her paw pad didn't offer too different a sensation than the floor she was already on, but she could at least tell that it gave more traction. She took another step, then another, until she found herself fully outside the patient house for the very first time.

Well, not the _first _time, if what Gallia and Sirden had told her was true. But that didn't count in her mind, nor did it matter. She was outside now, with the sun warming her up from the cooler temperature. She lifted her head and sniffed at the air, caught herself, and managed not to blush too hard as she got a better look around. Merri certainly had that sleepy, pre-industrial village aesthetic from what she saw, which again, wasn't much. Looking to the left, the dirt road perpendicular to her continued into the trees, entering what was undoubtedly a forest. In the other direction, the lands were more developed, with another small building before everything gave way to a smattering of more log-built homes and—were those _burrows_?

"See? It's not that bad."

Amy turned to see that Sirden was standing right beside her, cradling the basket with her egg and trying very hard not to look amused. Amy looked away.

"I guess not. The weather feels kinda nice, actually.."

Sirden let out a snicker.

"Really? _That's _what you have to say? Ah, I guess that's not important. Do you think you could handle walking across the road to our cabin? Gallia should have your breakfast put together by now."

Amy paused and looked about. Her eyes fell back on the cabin across the road and it hit her—that must've been the couple's home. He hadn't been lying when he said it was as close as it was. She took another moment to consider the question and think about how she was faring before giving a nod.

"Maybe? I... yeah, I can do this. Let's go."

"Alright then, follow me."

And they set off. Sirden strode along with Amy and her egg in tow, and they went down the path going away from the patient house. Amy's head was turning constantly, but aside from the handful of structures she saw to her right, there wasn't really any signs of life she could pick up on. In no time at all the two made it to the end of the path and crossed the road, continuing on a little trail that was nearly invisible, leading up to the tiny porch on the cabin's façade. And as if summoned by coincidence itself, Amy watched as the front door opened to reveal Gallia, holding a bowl in each hand and— the former human stopped dead in her tracks, eyes widening at what she saw. Sirden continued forward, however, unimpeded with the sight.

"Darling, I have returned from the lands whence you have quested me!"

He gave a quick wave to his wife with a free hand. She stopped what she was doing, gave him a unamused look, and _tsked._

"Oh hush with that, all you're doing is embarrassing yourself. I see you brought Miss Amy—good morning, by the way."

"Wha—you—but... _how?_"

Amy stammered and fell over her own words, unable to really communicate what she was seeing. Gallia hesitated, the bright cyan glow in her eyes still burning as she followed the gaze until she found herself staring at the plate levitating beside her. The Gardevoir looked between both the former human and the dish suspended in the air, emanating a halo of their own light, and made the connection.

"Ah, you've never seen Psychic being used before, have you? It's hardly anything to gawk over."

She stepped to the side, placing the bowls down on the ground beside a chair that sat on the porch, and then grabbed the plate with both arms. The glow coming from both the plate and her eyes faded to nothing, and she then placed it on the seat of the chair. Amy blinked and shook her head, trying to absorb what she'd just witnessed. She then tried to distract herself from it by looking at what was on the plate and in the bowls.

Unsurprisingly, it was food, fresh and untouched. The plate had some kind of flatbread, made into neat squares and stacked up, with a few pieces of meat—jerky if she were any judge—that were cut into strips beside it. One bowl had the same, though everything was torn into tiny, bite-sized pieces and mixed together, while the other was just water. Sirden stepped forward and set the basket down beside the bowls, reaching over to snag a piece of bread from the plate. Gallia shot him a _look _and swatted his hand away.

"I thought you said you'd already eaten."

"I did. I had a Chesto Berry, not surprising given how long the two of us stayed up, but that was all."

Gallia arched a brow.

"Well that's a shame, because I only made enough breakfast for two. I thought you were headed back out after you came back."

"Come on, it's just one piece. What if I asked nicely for it?"

"Then my answer would still be no."

The Gardevoir was unmoved by her husband's pleas. Sirden opened his mouth to say something, paused, and let out a sigh.

"Alright, I should be back around noontime. Don't you two have too much fun without me."

He stepped away from the food, turning to leave. Without another word, he stepped away from the house and began making his way back, turning in the direction of the other houses once he got to the road. Just like that, Amy was alone with Gallia on the porch. It felt different here than in the patient house, more open, but that was a given. She eyed the basket, coming to a rest on her egg, before eying the Gardevoir.

"That wasn't very nice, you know."

Gallia paused at the comment, but eventually waved it away.

"What, how I treated Sirden? It's nothing to worry over. We've poked and prodded at one another since the day we met. It's turned into a game at this point—you should've been there the week before when he kept pestering me with that feral Weedle he found in the woods!"

She let out a puff of air, but Amy could still see something in the Pokémon's eye, a wistful glint. She shook her head.

"But that doesn't matter. There are far more important things to talk about. Did you sleep well?"

"I—yeah, everything was fine for the most part. I'm surprised I wasn't waking up every few minutes with nightmares, all things considered..."

Amy trailed off. Gallia made a thoughtful noise.

"That's not too surprising. The mind of a Psychic-type works quite differently from most others. We almost never have dreams, unless... well, that's not important either. Here, let me get you a pillow for you and your egg and eat. We can even talk about some of the ideas I've thought over for you after we left."

The Gardevoir strode over to the door, vanishing inside before coming out with said pillow only a few seconds later. Amy couldn't help but to point out the obvious.

"I've, uh, noticed that you have an awful lot of those things just lying around. Do you, y'know, use them?"

"Of course. There are surprisingly few Pokémon species who can comfortably use chairs. It's good practice to keep a few for if you ever have guests. Sure you could hop on up, but what if someone far smaller than you or larger than I wanted to come in and chat for a while?"

It wasn't something she'd given much thought to, but it made a fair point. Gallia fluffed the pillow and sat it down next to the chair, letting Amy sit while her egg was carefully lifted out of the basket to be put once more at her side. After that, the bowls were scooted in front of her. It was very simple, but the smell was still enticing to her hungry self. She licked her lips and swallowed before she could start drooling while Gallia got comfortable in her chair.

"I hope you don't mind too much that were eating out on the porch, but I thought it would be a good way to get you more familiarized with the village and its surroundings. I would've done more if not for your egg—perhaps taken you down the creek to where it feeds into the ocean. You may not smell the salt from here, but we're just a mile or so from it."

"Really?"

"Of course. The village is in a coastal forest along on of Amaranth's eastern coasts. But let's talk about other things, and feel free to eat before things get too cold."

The Gardevoir smiled and indicated the bowl of food, before going to the chair and picking up her own plate. She sat down and smoothed out her gown with a free hand, eventually resting her food in her lap and taking a bite out a bread square. Amy didn't need to be told twice, digging in without even pausing to reflect on her eating without hands. The bread and meat were remarkably plain when compared to the exotic flavor of the Oran Berries she'd had the evening prior, but it was still filling. She swallowed her first few bites and looked back up in time to catch Gallia staring at her.

"...What?"

"Oh, it's nothing! It's just—it still feels so outlandish to think of you as anything other than an Espeon. But let's not dance around that, not when there's so much I'd like to discuss. Shall I?"

Amy hesitated.

"Um, sure? It's not like I have any ideas on what to do. I think I'm still trying to register everything. But what about other Pokémon listening in?"

Gallia shrugged, but when she spoke, her volume had lowered slightly.

"I doubt anyone will be around to listen, but I'll be careful. In that case, let's start with the what I think should be done first. You know nothing about us, correct?"

"That'd be right... well, I _do _know what a Pikachu is—but there are a lot of people back home that know that too, so that probably doesn't count..."

Amy trailed off, faltering as the Gardevoir popped a piece of jerky into her mouth, pursing her lips as she chewed. She swallowed and made a face.

"Why Pikachu? That seems like such a random choice, especially if we're supposed to be... fictional."

"I'm not sure, I never preoccupied myself with it. Maybe everyone think it's cute?"

Gallia didn't answer at first. She just picked at the next square of bread, looking contemplative before finally shook her head.

"I suppose the point stands: you need to learn. That's not to say that you aren't smart, but it's obvious that you don't know much about Pokémon—and by that merit the minutiae of things and how they may differ from your home's. You're here and, put bluntly, we don't know when or _if _that will change."

Amy winced at that last part. That was something she _really_ didn't want to hear, but it was true nonetheless. She didn't technically know the answer to how she got here, but if it at all involved her dying as she expected, then the possibility of this being a one-way trip was all the more likely. Her eyes fell to her side, and she looked at her baby's shiny new shell with a pensive stare. Gallia seemed to pick up on the mood shift, carrying on without missing a beat.

"That means that if you want to stay inconspicuous—as inconspicuous as an Espeon can be—a rudimentary education on these things are strongly recommended. Apart from settling you in, I think that this should be our most pressing goal. Do you agree?"

Amy glanced back up.

"...Y-Yeah, I guess that makes sense."

"Excellent. I feel most things shouldn't be too hard for you to grasp, and we can even make it more enjoyable by having you sit in on the lessons I give the village's children if you wish."

"Wait, you're a teacher too?"

Amy gave a more pointed look at the Gardevoir, who chuckled in return.

"Not in any official capacity, but I'm as well-read as any tutor. To become recognized as one costs coin I simply don't have. But let's move on, because I also have a very important idea that came to mind after we left you for the evening."

"And what would that be?"

"As you put it yesterday—answering the 'how' of you being here."

Amy's felt her heart skip a beat. Maybe—no, she had remember what Gallia had just got finished saying about her being stuck earlier. She straightened up and schooled her face.

"Go on."

Gallia took the piece of bread she'd picked at and popped the whole thing into her mouth, chewing for a few moments before swallowing.

"It's a thought more than anything, but it should still be brought up and considered. You see, no one here in Merri could possibly know the answer to how you wound up here—"

"But what about that Pokémon you said brought me to you and Sirden?"

The question just sort of slipped out of Amy's mouth without her even thinking, leaving the two of them in a moment of silence. It sounded like a valid question, but Gallia let out a strained noise, shaking her head and clenching her hands at her gown. When she spoke, her voice was tight.

"No. I doubt that idiot would know much more than you or I. Not even that you're human. I know how he works, and if he did know something we didn't, he wouldn't have acted like such an _ass._"

There was... something in the air that changed. Amy didn't know what it was, but she _did _know that it wasn't just a mood. It was physical, like a pressure or weight around the Gardevoir. Reflexively, Amy covered her egg with a paw, leaning away from the weighted air. Gallia blinked, looked down at at Amy and her egg, and stopped whatever was happening. Everything returned to normal, and pressed her mouth into a thin line, giving an apologetic look.

"I... I'm sorry, Miss Amy. I just—I'm not too fond of him. There's nothing more to it than that. His type... they don't make for very good 'mon. I didn't mean to lose my temper there."

Amy didn't respond, she just watched as the Pokémon adjusted herself in her chair let out another sigh. _That _was her losing her temper? She'd somehow swallowed the idea that the Pokémon could affect emotions, but levitating things and... whatever _that _was? After about a minute of silence, the two of them began to relax and the Gardevoir continued speaking, picking up where she'd left off.

"As I said, it's doubtful that we can get the answers you want here in Merri. But I believe there may be at least one place we could search."

"Which would be...?"

"Azurview City, the economic, cultural, and political capitals of Auristead, residence of the royal family, birth city to yours truly, et cetera, et cetera. It's a wonderful places, though what we're interested in seeing is less the city itself and more what lies inside—that would be the Grand Archives. It's a vast library with a trove of information for Pokémon to enjoy at their leisure, at least for the most part. Fire-types are barred, for obvious reasons, but I digress. What _we're _looking for, however, is something much more specific... and perhaps problematic."

She paused and took another piece of jerky, chewing thoughtfully. Amy, now calmed, had already began to eat and drink herself, lapping up the water to chase down the food at times. She looked up, speaking around a full mouth.

"Mmph. I'm listening. You don't need to keep pausing dramatically."

Gallia looked down at her, snorted,and carried on.

"Oh fine. You see, there's a section of the Archives that's entirely cut off from the general public. According to what I've heard, it contains many ancient tomes and scrolls related to history and mythology going back to before the kingdom was even founded. It's a long shot, but it would be as good a place as any to start hunting for answers. Again, the problem is that this portion is restricted to us, but that could easily be amended if we plead your case to either the council that operates the Archives, or to his Majesty himself."

Amy frowned.

"So that means if I want to go searching for information, I'd have to let more in on me being... not from around here. And all for something that might not even have what I'm looking for."

"Exactly. It may not be what you want to hear, but that's the only thing that I can come up with in regards to this whole situation. I would consider it a long-term goal, whereas just trying to get comfortable here and learning would be more immediate. The journey to Azurview is a long one, after all, taking well over a month of nonstop travel if going by way of wagon. I think that's too much for someone who's going to be mothering a kit in about that same window of time."

Amy nodded absently, looking down at her egg again. It was deflating to have to wait, even if she agreed wholeheartedly with the opinion. But what she said—did that mean her baby would be hatched in about a month's time? The mere thought gave her butterflies... or whatever the Pokémon equivalent would be, if any. It was also great to now have a plan, however crude it may be, but it would most likely develop as time went on. She pulled her egg closely against her side and bent down to get another bite of food—and stopped. Amy's ears shot up and she turned to see something red, yellow, and furry running at a dead sprint towards them.

"_Gallia!"_

The Gardevoir stood from her chair, almost dropping her food in the process before setting it down. She strode off the porch, looking down at an out of breath Fire—er, Flareon.

"Fury? What are you doing here?"

The panting Pokémon looked up, trying to speak coherently.

"We... have a problem. I-It's Arzon—he wants to see Amy right now! 'No excuses', he said! Sirden's the only thing keeping him from crossing to this half of Merri! I was supposed to find you, but... but I don't know how you can calm him down. You hate each other's guts!"

He trailed off, taking a few deep breaths. For a long moment, Gallia looked quite shocked but then her brows snapped together into a scowl. When she spoke this time, her her eyes _flashed_, and she reached a hand backwards. Amy started as the door to the cabin opened seemingly on its own. When the Gardevoir spoke, her voice was eerily calm.

"I think I know what he wants of me. Get Miss Amy and her egg inside, and leave the door open a crack since we don't have a quadruped door. Oh, and—"

Gallia knelt on one knee, leaning down to eye level. Amy watched as she whispered something into the Flareon's ear. He seemed surprised at first, but began to look more and more worried as whatever she was saying went on. Gallia stood back up.

"Do you think you can do that?"

"I-I-I don't know. I can try, but, uh, are you sure that'll happen?"

Gallia gave a grim nod.

"I know how he operates, so just please keep an eye on Miss Amy."

"...Okay, I-I'll try..."

Gallia gave another nod and hurried down the trail, heading in the same direction that Sirden had earlier. It wasn't quite a run, but she was moving faster than the Gallade had. Suddenly, Amy found herself alone with the Flareon, who muttered some expletive under his breath before turning to give one of the most awkward smiles she'd ever seen.

"Um... alright, let's get you settled in for the moment. I-It shouldn't be that bad... I hope..."

* * *

**Author's Note****:**

**So here it is, Chapter 3! I hope you found it nice!**

**First, I'd like to apologize for how long this one took. Things sorta hit the fan IRL with family getting sick and stuff, so that took a lot of wind out of my sails in regards to writing. But better late than never, I suppose. Honestly, I'm more worried that this doesn't live up to the original version of Chapter 3, which is bad because I think the original was pretty bad. **

**But hey, all I can do is write better as we go forward. In the meantime, CONGRATULATIONS! If that ending wasn't any indication, then you've officially made it to the point in the story where things **_**really **_**begin to diverge from the original version! What'll happen next, I wonder? Well, you'll just have to wait and see. **

**Anyways, feel free to leave a review or PM listing any typos or spelling errors in this chapter for me to fix. I try my hardest, but more often than not, I end up missing something.**

**See ya next chapter!**

**Chapter 1-3 Trivia****:**

**Again, no trivia for Chapter 1-3.**


	4. Vol 1 - Chapter 4

**IMPORTANT NOTE: As of now, _A Home Like No Other _is on a temporary hiatus. There are a few issues in real life that I need to work through, and I need some time to reinvigorate my desire to write, so to speak. I don't know how long it will be before I'm back, but I _will _be back to continue writing. I apologize for this inconvenience. **

**This message will be deleted once the hiatus has ended and the next chapter has been published.**

* * *

**A Home Like No Other**

**Vol. 1, Chapter 4**

* * *

The world of Pokémon. To the village folk just inside civilization, or the ferals outside it, it seemed like such a simple existence. But anyone well-traveled or educated to a point knew that such was not the case. In every nook and cranny where society had become the norm, there were forces that shaped existence and made it infinitely more convoluted. Some of these ideas were the same, such as laws or other arbitrary guidelines. But the others? Things such as history or culture? Those were hardly the same from place to place and could quickly overwhelm someone who wasn't prepared to grasp it. One could probably devote their whole life trying to study just one of these facets that separated civilized Pokémon from their brethren across a border or in the wilderness, and perhaps some scholars already have. But that didn't matter; all that pertained to this strand of thought was the realization that many things could be more complicated than they first appeared or were understood to be.

And in that same vein, even the most seemingly complex subject matter never seemed as ridiculous once you buckled down and began to properly learn it. Or at least that's what Gallia had gathered from her experiences growing up with tutors. Perhaps it was her being part Psychic-type, or something else entirely, but she'd never had much difficulty in comprehending something, especially if it was from a book. She couldn't readily describe how, but she'd always had a skill for breaking down information and making connections as if she'd somehow understood a given concept all along.

But why was this important? How did it play into what was going on right now? The answer was simple, really: for the first time in recent memory, the Gardevoir had run up against something that she couldn't figure out. A puzzle by the name of Amy Miller, a conundrum that couldn't readily be reasoned through. It wasn't even that this... human herself was some enigma. Rather, it was the very fact that she was here to begin with that left the healer's thoughts a frazzled mess. Creatures from another world? A mother and child brought here by some means, reshaped into Pokémon and indistinguishable from one at a glance? Not in all her nearly thirty years of life had she ever had such ideas crossing her mind. A part of her still didn't want to believe what Amy had confessed. But she knew better than that; as a Gardevoir, she knew emotions better than most, and the fear and confusion from yesterday had been all too real. This bit of information, when added to the fact that she couldn't readily explain or rationalize any of these happenings, was leaving her... frustrated, to the point that she'd snapped at Amy when _he_ had been brought into the conversation.

Arzon. And that led to now, with Gallia making her way towards the center of the village where that fool was undoubtedly causing a fuss. She didn't know the exact reasoning for Sirden wanting her to be there, but she had an inkling, and that was reason enough when her husband was a part of the equation.

And so she went. Went... and worried. Because she was now about to be dealing with the same Pokémon that, according to his own word, had been the first to find Amy. And despite what she'd told the human before leaving, she couldn't say for sure that he didn't know something about her arriving here. Sure, Gallia doubted it, but it was also just like that idiot to not let on that he knew a secret. The thought of that even remotely being the case here was enough to make her seethe.

But she kept it to herself. This was neither the time nor the place for venting, so she instead focused on the path in front of her, going past homes and the like. She noted the absence of many villagers from their houses, burrows, and other residences, but that wasn't unusual given that the next caravan of traders were set to arrive soon. That said, she could still see a handful of Pokémon milling around their dwellings or in the gardens that many kept to supplement their personal food supplies. One such Pokémon, a Minccino, waved a paw as he stopped what he'd been doing and approached, calling out.

"Oi, Miss Gallia!"

Gallia nodded, acknowledging the smaller Pokémon as he hurried beside her. She slowed her pace a little, but he still had to put in effort to match her longer stride.

"Good morning, Ficcio. You're up early."

She gave a measured reply, trying to keep herself in check after what she'd been thinking about. The smaller Pokémon just snorted.

"You're one to talk. I can't remember the last time I saw you leave that cabin of yours before midday!"

He chuckled to himself, not noticing the leg that had been stuck out to trip him up until it was too late. Ficcio fell over the Gardevoir, windmilling his tiny arms to try and regain his balance. But it was all in vain as he fell face-first into the packed dirt below. The Normal-type picked himself up off the ground, grunting.

"Nngh, guess I had that one coming. Good thing I haven't had my morning bath yet. At any rate, can I make a guess and assume you're out and about because of the racket Arzon's making at the bridge?"

Gallia paused, then sighed.

"That would be accurate. Is there anything I need to know about the situation before going in?"

"Nope, it's just like most of the villagers thought it'd be. He wants to have a word with our Espeon guest—demanding it, really. He woke me up yelling for Sirden."

Gallia frowned.

"How does he know she woke up?"

Ficcio gave her a flat look.

"Really? Half the village heard her scream from the patient house. She's got quite the set of lungs on her, that's for sure. Word probably just spread to him through the grapevine. What's she like, by the way? You, Sirden, and Fury were in there for quite some time yesterday."

"That's something to discuss later. How are things at the bridge now?"

Gallia deflected cooly, trying to pull the focus away from Amy. She wasn't at all convinced that talking about her in any capacity outside of the Pokémon who knew her secret was a good idea. Ficcio, to his credit, picked up on her reluctance and let it go, albeit with reluctance.

"I think it's wound down some, or at least the yelling has stopped. I wouldn't be surprised if the two of them were sitting across from each other at the ends of the bridge, having another staring contest."

"Typical. I guess I should go and check things for myself."

"Eh, whatever fits your fancy. Just tell Sirden that I've finished mending that stupid scarf of his. He can pick it up and pay me after this is done."

"I'll let him know, thank you."

The Minccino nodded, slowing his pace down before turning and heading back the way they'd come. Gallia slowed too, watching him wave a quick farewell as he hurried back to where he'd been. With that said and done, she turned back to face the road and glanced to either side. Around her were a few more homes that were noticeably closer to one another than previously. And a short ways ahead of her was the stream that flowed straight through the village's center, separating their northern half from... the rest of the village. This was it. She stepped forward, hesitating for only a second, rounded a corner—

And stopped. Not twenty feet upstream sat the bridge. The piece wasn't some marvelous feat of engineering and art that you'd find as you traveled further north near a major city, just a simple crossing built of wood that spanned the width of the stream. It wasn't even large enough to fit more than two wagons crossing side-by-side. Her line of sight along the opposite shore was cut off by the many crude palisades that had been erected along the banks directly across from her. Gallia stared at the pointed tops of the logs, her eyes narrowing slightly. More length had clearly been added since Amy's appearance. She looked for only a moment longer before turning her full attention back to the bridge.

_There they were_. Five Pokémon stood atop the crossing, staring each other down in silence. On the side closest to her was Sirden, standing patiently as ever with his arms clasped behind his back. Beside him stood a Zangoose, his species' recognizable patterns faded from old age and a notable stump where a left arm should've been. On the other side—Gallia clenched her fists.

Arzon sat on the opposite end of the bridge. Not standing like Sirden was, but sitting. The Zoroark's face was set, and he seemed just as willing to wait there as her husband was. He wasn't starting trouble like Fury and Ficcio had claimed, but there was a familiar darkness about him, as befitting of his type. His gaze was locked with the other Pokémon standing across from him, unblinking, unwavering, and _intense_. The stare of a predator.

Worse still was that he wasn't alone. Standing on either side of him was a Mightyena, looking on with much the same energy as the larger Pokémon sitting between them. It was a tense scene, almost like something from a storybook, but Gallia would be a liar if she said she hadn't seen it all before.

"Fiends."

It was a whisper, a curse. Shaking her head, the healer steeled herself and strode to the bridge where everything was taking place. It took her no time at all to cross the short distance to the others, and as she approached, the two Pokémon on her side noticed her. Sirden glanced her way and flashed a smile, as carefree as ever. It was almost comical when contrasted to the Zangoose's grim expression... until you remembered the elder Pokémon's past and sobered up from such thoughts.

"Alright, Sirden, I'm here. What do you need?"

"You'll see. I'm just running a quick experiment, is all. Just act natural."

"Huh? What do you—_oh..._"

Gallia's eyes widened slightly, her heart nearly skipping a beat as she realized what Sirden's murmurings meant. She'd been right in assuming what was wanted of her, but was _now _really the best time for that? Especially with Amy being involved? She grimaced, turning her gaze back to the Dark-types across the way. Arzon had stirred as well, those same icy eyes now locked on her. Slowly, he rose to his feet, taking a step forward. She could feel both her Psychic and Fairy energies roiling at his very presence.

"Well look who decided to rise and shine. I have to say, it's a _pleasure _to see your face this early in the morning."

His voice was loud, commanding of attention and respect in spite of the obvious sarcasm. It was the voice of a leader, a fact that Gallia loathed. Almost as an instinct, the air around her became charged with power and weighed down the immediate area. The Zangoose swayed a bit, shooting her a look, but Sirden hardly seemed to be affected. The Gallade reached an arm out and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder, gently rubbing.

"Stay focused, dear. Don't let him get under your skin."

His tone was level, but Gallia could look at his face and tell that Sirden didn't appreciate the other Pokémon's jab at his wife. Still, her lover's words broke through and she reigned herself back in. She took a few calming breaths and turned her attention back to the Zoroark, glaring.

"What do you want, Arzon?"

"That's _Captain _Arzon, and you know damned well what I want. That Espeon is clearly awake and had that egg by now, so I have every right to take her into custody and proceed with my investigation."

The Dark-type grinned, exposing a number of pointed teeth to the three Pokémon across from him. It wasn't a friendly look, but Gallia took it in stride, scoffing at the demand and propping her hands on her hips.

"Absolutely not! There's been a complication with the matter and she's in no condition to put up with the likes of you."

Arzon seemed to hesitate, taking a moment to appraise Gallia and her words. Watching him eye her like that—her stomach lurched. His grin morphed into a strange amalgamation of a snarl and a sneer, and he took another few steps forward. Gallia, Sirden, and the Zangoose all tensed up. She even thought that she saw her husband's elbow blades extend a fraction from the corner of her eye. The Zoroark's voice grew even louder, his every word tinged with... something. Was it ire? Amusement? As was the case with every Pokémon of his type, Gallia couldn't get a read on what he was really feeling with her abilities.

"Half-truths don't fly by me as easily as they do with other Pokémon, so I suggest you be completely transparent with me. If she has the strength to scream, then she has the strength to talk. Or do I need to remind you that there's an _Espeon _sitting in your patient house? It's a matter of Ridanian security, and you're lucky I've yet to contact the military about this 'matter' of ours! So let's try this again: hand her—and the egg—over."

Gallia grit her teeth.

"No."

Arzon leaned forward. In spite of still being halfway across the bridge, he felt far too close for Gallia's comfort. There was a glint in his eye, and when he spoke again, his voice had leveled out and become low. A growl, but still audible to everyone involved in the confrontation.

"And why not?"

"Because..."

And just like that, she was stuck. No clever retorts or comments that were typical of past bouts with this Pokémon. She was at a genuine loss for words, and that was distressing to her. Her heart was beginning to pound, though she was nowhere near the panic that had besieged her new patient upon waking up. She was just... nervous. She looked to Sirden, and the two traded an uncertain glance.

She really hoped that Amy was faring better than she was right now.

—**-**

"Uh, here, let's get you and your baby inside. I-I can probably tug the pillow through the door with the egg on top if you make sure it doesn't fall off."

On the porch of Gallia and Sirden's cabin, Amy found herself alone with Fury after the Gardevoir went to deal with... whatever had to be dealt with. That would've been fine, even when accounting for the fact that she and her baby were now outside the patient house. But something in the air had changed, and now she felt tense, a little less sure of everything. The perpetually anxious look on the Flareon's face wasn't doing her any favors either. Though... she probably shouldn't be so hard on him for that; his company was better than no company, or so she assumed. She wasn't even sure how she'd handle it if she had to go through more of being alone with her thoughts.

"A-Amy, you're just staring at the ground. Are you okay? Did you hear what I said?"

"Wha...?"

Amy looked up, snapping back to reality. She looked over at an antsy Fury, who was practically trotting in place, and her egg, still sitting beside her. The canine-like Pokémon had managed to wrestle the door open with his paws, and looked more than ready to get a move on. It was only then that his first question registered. Amy got to her feet, shaking her head to chase away any stray thoughts as she stepped off the pillow.

"Sorry. I heard you, I was just zoned out. Er, let's go ahead and get inside."

Fury nodded, looking relieved to hear her answer, if only slightly. He moved to a corner of the pillow and, to Amy's admitted amusement, took it into his mouth. He then began to drag it along the small porch, towards the door that lay open. She stayed right next to it the whole time, making sure that her egg didn't fall off or that nothing caught on the plush little seat as it was dragged into the cabin. She even kept the Flareon from backing into a piece of furniture as they made it further into the home. This went on for a few more feet until Fury had both pillow and egg resting against a wall. He let go of the load and padded back to the door, where he then pushed it closed until only a tiny sliver of the outside world was visible from where Amy stood. This was it, the interior of the home.

And honestly? It was exactly as she would've envisioned an old-fashioned cabin that was two hundred years her senior. The space itself was small, far from meeting the prerequisites of a modern living room, but there was a homeyness to it for obvious reasons. She saw a table, a few chairs, some a dresser of sorts, and a small fireplace. There were also two separate doorways that looked as though they went into a bedroom and a small kitchen space, but nothing else of real interest aside from simple decorations to spruce the place up some.

None of it really helped to settle Amy, though. Now that she was up, she couldn't quite bring herself to sit back down with her egg. She just stood there, fighting a rising urge to pace the room while she looked back and forth between her baby and Fury. Their eyes met for a moment, but the Flareon was quick to avert his gaze, suddenly becoming interested in the open window or front door as he sat himself down on his haunches.

It stayed like that for some time, the silence stretching out into a pained ordeal, until Amy began to notice a change in the other Pokémon. It was gradual, but as Fury was caught giving a few sideways glances of his own, she watched as his grew more and more restless. As time passed, she even thought she saw him clenching his jaw. That only served to make her feel even more on-edge with everything. She was just about to open her mouth when Fury's turned and blurted something out, making her start.

"Y-You know, you don't have to look so afraid. It's making me anxious just seeing you like that. I-I don't, uh, bite or anything."

"Huh?"

"Uh... I mean—your fur's been bristled up since Gallia left, and you kinda look like you're ready to tear out someone's throat..."

He trailed off. Amy stood silent, staring straight at the Flareon now, who in turn shifted and squirmed under the scrutiny. He looked like he regretted what he'd said, and for whatever reason, she could've swore that a wave of warm air was hitting her from where he stood. She turned to look at herself, immediately noticing that the fur along her spine and hackles were standing straight up. Her head snapped back to Fury, who shrank away from the return of attention. She turned to face him fully—

And laughed. It was a quiet, tight laugh, but a laugh nonetheless. As if some spell had been broken, Amy's body began to relax and the taut feeling in her chest loosened a little, like taking the weight off of a coiled spring. It wasn't much, but it was enough.

"Well, that's one way to break the ice. Sorry if I upset you, looks like I was more wound up than I thought. Heh, I kinda look like an angry cat with everything raised like that."

Amy indicated her fur, which was beginning to settle down to its natural position. She let out another faint chuckle and finally set herself down beside her egg, resting on her haunches like Fury. She checked over the pillow again, settling in and taking the front room in for a second time. Idly, she continued.

"So why we're still talking, can I ask what's going on? I think I understood the gist of it—this Arzon guy is the one who found me, and now he wants to see me for whatever reason. But is there anything else? What did Gallia whisper to you?"

Fury blinked, looking startled.

"H-How"d you figure that out? I don't remember his name coming up from when we were in the patient house yesterday."

Amy looked away, hiding a sheepish look.

"It wasn't really hard at all. I've always had a knack for noticing little things and putting the pieces together. I think I saw Gallia's eye twitch when you said his name, and just before that I... may have upset her by bringing him up."

"Ah... I guess that explains it. Yeah, putting those two near each other is like lighting a fire under a Beedrill nest. Anyways... I don't think that there's much more to to it than what you've picked up on. Arzon's just being himself and wants to get to the bottom of why an Espeon showed up unconscious. That's understandable, I think. But now that we know your situation isn't... normal, I don't think any of us want him in on it."

Amy made a quiet noise.

"Mm, makes sense. But who is he? And why does Gallia hate him so much?"

She looked meaningfully at the Flareon, who stayed silent. He was peering at the door and window again, his ears twitching intermittently as he appeared to be listening for something. Amy went still, straining her own ears to hear anything out of the ordinary. But it just sounded like nature to her. Another few moments passed by in silence before Fury turned back to her, an apologetic smile plastered on his face.

"S-Sorry about that. I was just listening for things—just in case, you know?"

"It's fine. But what about Arzon?"

"Hm? Oh, right. Let's see, he's the Guard Captain for the southern half of Merri. Other than that, I don't personally know much... except that he has a son that runs around and a really mean stare."

Amy blinked, a puzzled look crossing her face.

"Wait, I thought Sirden was the only Captain. If this place is a village, then there shouldn't be a reason to have someone else, right?"

"That would be right, if we were in any other village on the continent. But this is Merri, a place that sits on the border separating Auristead and Ridan. And here, sitting on the border is taken in the most literal sense. Because if you cross the stream running through the village's center, you'll have left Auristead and entered Ridan. Half of the village is in one kingdom, while the other is, well, you get the point. Because of that, we have a Guard Captain and a couple guards'mon in either half of the village. Paid for by their respective realm. Um, that makes sense, right?"

Amy nodded.

"For the most part. And Gallia hates him because...?"

No sooner had the question left her mouth had Fury made a face. He took another look around the front room where they both sat, but that didn't seem to be good enough. The Flareon moved from where he was, inching closer to Amy before settling back down. When he spoke, his voice was a lot more quiet than it had been just moments before.

"Uh... there isn't much to that, either, b-but... you didn't hear it from me, okay?"

He hesitated, his ears flicking as he took yet another long look around the room. There was something about his wording and the way he kept pausing that was starting to not sit well with Amy. It was riling her up again, and this time she was all too aware of how her fur was starting to raise. He glanced back to her, noticed her uneasiness, and gave a sigh.

"S-Sorry. L-Like I said, I'm just keeping an ear out for things—just in case. Uh, there's nothing more to it than their typings. It's an anticlimatic thing to say, but that's it."

"Okay, but what does that mean?"

"Oh, I keep forgetting you might not know much on that. Um, to cut down on a long explanation, Gallia is a Gardevoir, a part Psychic-type, and Arzon is a Zoroark, a Dark-type. For a whole lot of historical and instinctual reasons, those two specific types have always hated one another. That's all."

Amy felt a frown pull at the corners of her mouth. That was really it? The whole reason Gallia hated this Arzon fellow and probably vice versa was just because of what they were? The idea was... petty, and out of almost everything that had happened up to this point, the former human was having the most difficulty wrapping her head around this one simple notion. She felt betrayed, in a vague sense. She had expected so much more from the Pokémon that had been so kind to her.

"That's stupid."

"What?"

"That's stupid. They're just going at one another because of their... types? That's one of the stupidest things I've ever heard. It sounds like some sort of—no, you know what? I'm just gonna say it. That's prejudice."

Amy's brow furrowed into a scowl. She probably would've crossed her arms too, if that were still physically possible for her. Fury was quiet for a moment, clearly uncomfortable, but he eventually spoke up, speaking oh so carefully.

"W-well, it may seem wrong to you, but there _is_ a good reason for it. They—the Dark-types—have a reputation for doing bad things. They lie, they steal, and quite a few more than I'm comfortable telling you about have done worse. Not a single Pokémon, not even another Dark-type, will fully trust one. And considering what Psychic-types have done to Dark-types in the past, I don't blame Arzon for disliking Gallia. I-I'm not trying to be inconsiderate to your opinion, but if you go out and meet a few, you'll probably change your mind."

"Well until that happens, I'll think it's stupid."

Amy shook her head again. That whole exchange left her feeling dissatisfied. She compulsively eyed her egg, rubbing a paw over the top of it. She was just about to change the subject to something more lighthearted when she paused. Something didn't sit well with her all of a sudden. She looked up and swept her gaze around the room, but it appeared unchanged. Still, something was wrong, she could just _feel _it. It was a gnawing feeling in the back of her head, that creeping sense of unease that tied her stomach into knots and left her dreading.

Again, she gave the room a good look and hesitated when her eyes found the window. It was empty, with a clear view of the trees and sky, but she just couldn't shake the feeling that—

"_Get back!"_

With no more of a warning than that, Fury hopped forward, his own fur looking a little bristled. He took a wide stance, inhaled_, _and _spat._

There was a _fwoosh_, and Amy recoiled as a fireball was launched from the Flareon's mouth! The bright orb of flames hurtled across the room, sailing over the table and right towards the window. If there was any time to process it, Amy may have thought that the projectile would've soared right past the shutters, but that wasn't what happened at all. Just when it was about to cross the threshold and leave the cabin, the fireball flared with a resounding _pop _that made her flinch further and hit her head against the wall_. _She instinctively grabbed at her egg and hunkered over it and screwed her eyes shut as the flame bloomed into another flash of light and smoke that filled the room. A yelp came from the empty space of the window, followed by a light thud. Amy coughed a few times and waved uselessly at the smoke, cracking open an eye to observe the aftermath.

Besides the smoke in the air and some darkened wood around the window, everything still looked the same. She stared, wide-eyed and mouth agape at the aftermath. In much the same fashion that she had with Gallia when the Gardevoir had levitated her breakfast, she fixated on the Flareon with an incredulous expression

"_YOU CAN BREATHE FIRE?!"_

Fury's ears twitched, presumably from how loud she was. He looked back at her, a look of glee and something resembling pride on a face that had clearly gone pale beneath the fur.

"O-Oh, that? It's nothing, really. I mean—I'm not called a 'Flareon' just because of the color of our fur. I just can't believe I hit him..."

He stood there, basking in his own little victory... right up until something seemed to sink in and his mood did a complete one-eighty. The Pokémon's ears drooped and his expression became one of horror.

"Wait, I hit him?! No! Nonononono—I'm dead! He'll know I did it and mangle me in my sleep! I'm going to be made into a rug! And the window—if Arzon doesn't get to me first, then it'll definitely be Gallia!"

He was starting to panic now, that much was obvious. He was trotting in place again, muttering incomprehensible things under his breath and letting out an animalistic whine slip out.

And Amy? She was left behind, her brain still playing catch-up from such a revelation. Lifting dishes with their minds? Breathing fire? What other things were Pokémon capable of? Was she herself now able to pull off some biology-defying feat that she wasn't able to do as a human? She'd been drawn to the window just now, was that proof of something? Her head was practically swimming in thoughts, emotions, and a good bit of adrenaline that made it difficult to think. But one question reigned clearly over all the other noise.

"What even was that? I didn't see anything at the window, but you just went ahead and hit something. With fire..."

She was breathing hard, struggling to even comprehend what was leaving her own mouth. But it seemed to be enough to reach Fury. He spun around to face her, stammering on with his ears still hanging low.

"I-I'm pretty sure that was Zolkir—y-yeah, definitely him. He's Arzon's kit, and I just blasted him with an Ember! You were staring right at the window—and your gem! I overreacted, I swear!"

He indicated her forehead and the window, gesturing frantically between both. Amy reached a clumsy paw up to the stone that she'd learned was embedded into her head and felt at it, but she couldn't tell that anything about it had changed. And when she regarded the window and the damage a once again, she found that that feeling of something being wrong had vanished. Tail lashing, she moved from where she'd been protecting her egg and turned her attention went back to the Flareon.

"Okay, I think we're both a little on edge right now, but we need to keep our heads. You're supposed to be a Guard-mon or whatever, right? So—yeah—what do we do now?"

She was so unsure of herself in asking that, as if shooting questions was ever enough to calm someone down. But much to her surprise, it seemed to do something in this one crucial moment... at least a little. The fire-breathing Pokémon froze up and gave her a long look, before eventually shaking himself like a dog that had just gotten out of a bath. He stood up a bit straighter, taking a deep, shaky breath, and abruptly turned his head to blew out a ring of smoke from his maw. He nodded.

"R-Right, I need to get a hold of myself. Guess this makes me a pretty cruddy Guards'mon, huh? O-Okay, let's see... we should probably stay here in the cabin since it wasn't Arzon who was trying to get the jump on us—he would've dodged my attack and stomped me out in an instant. We should also stay quiet until Gallia or Sirden get back from the bridge, just in case that little guy decides to stick around and eavesdrop even after this. In the meantime, we should get you and your egg moved into the bedroom and, uh, I can keep an even sharper eye out for any Dark-types."

Amy was nodding along until she heard that last part. She stopped and gave a blank look.

"Wait, was that what you were doing the whole—"

Another pause. Something in her mind clicked from earlier and this time her brows rose in incredulity.

"Hold on. Was _that _what Gallia whispered to you about? Did you _know _this was going to happen?"

Fury's eyes widened in alarm.

"What? No—I mean, maybe? S-Sirden suspected something like this might have been going on for a few months now, but I always thought he was just being paranoid about it, y'know? I didn't think anything would actually happen, I just listened to Gallia because she'd get fussy if I didn't take the possibility seriously. But now I think he's right—Arzon _has_ been sending his kid to do espionage on this half of the village. And if I hit him with my Ember, then there might be physical proof of it!"

Amy stared silently at the Flareon, and then down to her egg. She obsessively rolled it about on the pillow, checking for any damage to it. Her brows knit together, her mind made up on something.

"Fine, let's get me moved. But when Gallia and Sirden get back... I think I'm going a word with the both of them."

—**-**

_He was so close now. _

Gallia looked on at Arzon, masking how she felt with a glare. He stood on their end of the bridge now, just out of arm's reach and fixing her husband with a stare that could bore a hole through stone. Sirden, to his credit, looked hardly more tense than he had previously while he spoke to the Zoroark. That was more than could be said for the older Zangoose, who twitched and fidgeted with a clear contempt that radiated off him like heat. On the other end of the bridge, the two Mightyena sat on either side, staring ahead in silence like the soldiers they had probably been before joining the Merri's other Guard Captain.

"Listen, Arzon, all we're asking for is a couple more days to have everything sorted out. Nedos and his caravan should be in by evening, and you know that'll add more to both of our plates while he does business."

"So you want to wait until after he leaves, then?"

The Gallade nodded sagely.

"That's exactly what I was thinking. We're a pretty small stop on his route, so he'll probably only stay for one full day like he normally does. Once he's gone, you have my word as Guard Captain that our little Espeon—"

"And her egg."

"—And her egg will both be turned over to you. Everything will be under your jurisdiction, no questions asked. Isn't that fair enough?"

A moment of silence followed. The Dark-type gave Sirden a another long look, the same measuring gaze he'd used on Gallia, searching for something. Finally, he relented, making a noise that wasn't quite a grunt, nor was it a growl.

"Very well. Those will be the terms. Once Nedos and his caravan set off from the village, those two will be mine.

For one moment, one fleeting moment, Gallia thought the ordeal over. But to her... dismay, Arzon stepped even closer! The Zangoose raised his single clawed paw in warning, and the Gardevoir herself had to fight to not step back, but no other move was made. He stood there quietly, inches from an unflinching Sirden. His voice was low as he continued.

"But understand this: there will be no funny business. If I so much as hear a whisper that you're trying to undermine my authority—in any capacity—there _will _ be consequences. It's my understanding that you don't desire conflict, Captain Sirden, but if I suspect anything at all, I will be in immediate contact with the Ridanian military and bring those worst-case scenarios to fruition."

"...Of course."

Sirden gave another nod. Seemingly satisfied, the Zoroark removed himself from their personal space and turned to walk away. That was when they all saw it.

A shape appeared in Gallia's periphery, moving on Ridan's half of the water's edge. Her eyes fixed on it, and she beheld a small quadruped Pokémon scurrying along the banks before slipping behind where the palisades began. The Zorua, though just a child, was still of the same typing as his father and as such drew an instinctive stare from her. But what kept her attention, as well as the attention of all on the bridge, barring the two Mightyena, was his fur. In spite its dark grey coloring, it was painfully obvious that a portion of his flank and a bit of his poofy collar had been singed. The small Pokémon hurried behind the walls, but he had already been spotted. In his absence the Pokémon who stood on Auristead's end of the bridge turned to Arzon. The Zoroark stood perfectly still, the only sign of movement being his fiery mane as the breeze blew past it. Without another word, he shook his head and continued heading back to his half of the village, not looking back once. The two Mightyena followed close behind, leaving the others alone. It was over. Slowly, they too began to turn away.

"Hm, this has been quite the eventful morning. More so than I've ever wanted."

The Zangoose spoke up for the first time, his raspy voice breaking the silence. Sirden let out a puff of air, sagging a bit.

"I'll say. We'd better head back home, Gallia. I'll wager that Fury and Miss Amy have had their share of excitement as well."

"Oh, that's the Espeon's name? Odd choice for an eeveelution."

Sirden paused, glancing at the older Pokémon. He gave a shrug.

"It is what it is, I suppose. Thank you for your assistance, Vitrus. You really didn't have to."

Vitrus waved his paw in dismissal.

"As if I'd sit by and let those moon humpers strut around like they own the place. I know what most of 'em are like and I won't stand for it."

"Mm, well, I appreciate it either way."

The Gallade inclined his head, and the Zangoose went his separate way. Now it was just husband and wife that remained. Gallia sighed.

"I can't believe it."

"What? That Fury might've actually hit something with his Emb—_gah!_"

The Gallade's remark was cut short by a swift elbow to the side. And while Gallia didn't have bladed extensions to them like her husband, she thought that she was more than capable of delivering a painful strike.

"No, not that! You know what I'm talking about."

Gallia shot Sirden a quick glare, who in turn frowned and rubbed at his side.

"I know, I know. Just trying to make light of the situation. It's a shame I have to be right about this whole theory of mine."

That was all he said on the matter. Gallia fell in step with him as the two began making their way back to their home. Gallia grimaced.

"That isn't much time you bought us. But I'm thankful you picked up the slack from me. I feel like an idiot for letting him corner me in that argument."

"Don't even worry about it, dear. It was in my vow that I'd always be there for you. Besides, I got more time than you realize. Just think about the situation that'll unfold."

She did. The Gardevoir took a moment, bringing a hand to rub at her chin as the two continued on their way. After about a minute, Gallia's brows shot up.

"Ah, that _is _clever. And here I thought you went all day without a single scheming thought in that head of yours."

Sirden chuckled.

"What, you thought I just wooed you with good looks alone?"

That did the trick. Gallia cracked the smallest of smiles despite how things had played out. Sirden made a satisfactory sound.

"Now that's more of the you I'm used to seeing. But still... this whole situation has been a mess from the beginning. Let's get back to Amy and figure out what our next move will be."

"Mhm—oh, I almost forgot. Ficcio said that he finished fixing your scarf."

"..."

"What?"

"Okay, change of plans. First we head back home, then I grab my coin bag, and _then_ go pick up my scarf."

"Sirden, hon, you are really something else..."

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**Here it is, folks, the next chapter! It's slightly shorter than the others, barring Chapter 1 probably, but I doubt you noticed it until pointing it out just now. I also intended to have this out there a little earlier, but... things are happening IRL that have really eaten at my drive to write.**

**But still, I hope you enjoyed what I brought to you this time around! There isn't much for me to do here in the way of comparing this Chapter 4 to its original counterpart, as frankly, we've reached the point in which things are too different to really do that. One thing I'm sure you picked up on, though, is that the relationship between Amy, Gallia, and Sirden may not be all sunshine and rainbows this time around. Where will that go? You'll just have to wait and see. **

**Otherwise, thank you as always for being patient! And as always, feel free to leave a review or PM detailing any typos or other errors for me to fix (especially this one, as I found it really hard to motivate myself with what's been going on). I always appreciate it!**

**See ya next Chapter!**

**Volume 1, Chapter 4 Trivia:**

**Yay, we actually have something for me to talk about!**

**In this chapter, we were introduced to Arzon the Zoroark and his son (as well as a certain pair of Mightyena, though that isn't important for this bit of trivia). As you original readers know, they appeared in the last chapter I had published for the discontinued version of this story, but things are different in the rewrite, as you'd expect. For one, Arzon has been reassigned from his original post as Sergeant in a branch of the Ridanian army and is now the yin to Sirden's yang, so to speak.**

**But that's the least of what's going on. Because, without spoiling anything for the rewrite, what I intend for thee two specific Pokémon is vastly different from what it had been previously. To put it bluntly, they were going to be even more antagonistic, and they weren't going to be given a happy ending, not by far. **

**I'll let you make of that what you will.**


End file.
